Aionia Okeano
by SukiChan12
Summary: Pan was born with a twin brother, but what happens when two strange women whisk her away from the nursery just hours after her birth and introduce her to a world that no one knew existed? Will Gohan and Videl ever see her again? Will they be able to recognize her as their daughter? And how will her disappearance effect her inevitable romance with Trunks? TxP, GxB, UxM, and OCxOC
1. Prologue

**So, I'm bored again. Let's see what I come up with now, hm? This one's a TxP, with a mishmash of other couples, and it's a strange concept. For the sake of the styling, Pan's a twin.**

_Two babies lay in a plastic crib, whimpering and snuffling under the dim lights. One had on a pink hat , the other a blue one, and both were swaddled in a white blanket. Two women glided in gracefully, one with long, dark blue hair and silver eyes, the other with dark red hair and golden eyes. They were in nurse uniforms, but they didn't seem to belong in such a mundane setting such as this. The strange women stopped in front of the crib, and the blue haired one reached into her pocket to reveal a strange, rainbow colored crystal on a chain. She dangled it over the first baby, and the crystal remained the same. She moved to the next baby, and the colors began to pulse and shift, glowing brightly._

"_She's perfect. Rasana will love her." The blue-haired woman said softly, caressing the baby's cheek. The auburn haired woman checked the name tag, "Pan Son, what a peculiar name. We'll have to fix that, Brielle." Brielle nodded once, "How about Panchaia? That sounds like a name befitting of a Princess, right, Reye?" Reye nodded slowly, "she's so beautiful the way she is, but there's no way she'll blend into our world with coloring like this, and these... leg things. They're so cumbersome." Brielle smiled, "We'll give her Rasana's coloring," and leaned down to pick up the sleeping baby. Her twin, named Chase, began to whimper and cry as his twin was moved away from him. Reye brushed a hand over her face, murmuring something unintelligible. Chase became silent, falling back into peaceful slumber. Brielle cradled Pan, now Panchaia, in her arms, smiling, "We must go, Reye, other nurses will be here to check on the other infants."_

_Reye muttered a soft incantation, and a strange portal appeared. It was blue and rippling as though it were made out of water. The women walked through it, and it flashed and vanished behind them..._

_The women reappeared on the beach and headed to a secluded cove. Reye conjured a bottle filled with a glowing, blue-green liquid and passed it to Brielle, "give her the potion. The sun is setting." Brielle eased the bottle to the now awakened baby's lips and coaxed her into drinking. Pan whimpered and moved her head away, opening her mouth to cry. Brielle began to sing softly, her voice strangely hypnotic and beautiful. Pan closed her mouth and opened her midnight blue eyes, staring up at the woman inquisitively. "Will you drink it now?" Brielle asked gently, lowering the bottle to Pan's little pink lips. She opened her mouth obediently and began drinking the potion hungrily. Reye smiled, "poor thing, she must've been hungry." Pan finished off the bottle and her little body began to glow, changing into something more..._

"_She's exquisite." Reye said softly. Pan now had soft, dark brown hair, pale green eyes and a little purple fishtail where her legs should've been. "Let's bring her to her mother. Rasana will be so happy." The two women dove into the water, their bodies transforming into a larger version of Pan's new form. The two mermaids began to swim towards their home beneath the sea, leaving the human world behind..._

_*At the hospital*_

_A nurse entered the quiet nursery, looking over the babies before she retired for the night. As she came to the only set of twins in the room, her jaw fell in horrified shock. "Oh no... This isn't good!" She rushed to the security room, determined to go over the tapes. She _had _to find that baby, or else the World Savior wouldn't be happy with the hospital. The parents were asleep in the recovery wing, and she couldn't bring herself to wake them if it wasn't actually an emergency. Perhaps she was getting a check-up or something. She burst into the security room and asked the guard to go over the tapes..._

"_That's impossible..." She muttered, staring at the blank screen in horror. The last thirty minutes before she went in were completely blank, as if the cameras had decided to go blank. "I'll check the cameras outside of the door." The security guard began tapping on the keyboard, sorting through videos. "Damn it, there's a blank one again. All the cameras in the nearby area are blank." The nurse sighed sadly, "I'll break the news to the parents in the morning."_

_*The next morning*_

_Videl snuggled into Gohan's chest, mumbling softly in her sleep. Gohan pulled her tightly against his chest, groaning as he slowly woke up. "Videl?" He murmured softly, "Time to wake up, love." She muttered something and curled closer to him. Gohan laughed softly, "Videl, what about the children?" She opened one blue eye and growled, "I was in labor for nearly 24 hours yesterday, and you want to wake me up in the morning when I clearly need the rest? Have you gone mad?" The demi saiyan leaned down and kissed her temple, "Vi, come on-" The door swung open, revealing a rather sullen nurse and doctor. Videl sat up and lay against Gohan's chest, looking at the newcomers blearily. Gohan wrapped his arms around her waist, "Is there a problem?" The doctor sighed softly, "There's been a kidnapping in the nursery. It took place yesterday afternoon, and only one baby was taken." Videl woke up immediately, "What aren't you telling us?" the nurse looked down at her feet, "Pan was the baby that was taken, and we can't figure out who did it because the cameras malfunctioned during the time of the kidnapping." Gohan's jaw fell, "you've got to be kidding me. Why wasn't there a nurse in the room?" The nurse bit her lip, "there were two new nurses in there before me... Oh no..." Videl growled, "they stole my baby?!" Gohan ran a hand through her hair, "calm down, love, you're going to have to be calm to get to the bottom of this." He focused, searching for Pan's ki. Videl did the same._

'Is that Pan's ki? No, it can't be, it's too similar to an animal's..._' Gohan sensed out a ki that immediately made him think of his little girl, but the undercurrent of sea creature discouraged him. Videl began to shake in his arms, and he asked the doctor and nurse to leave. Videl turned her face into his chest and began weeping, clutching his shirt. Gohan held her close, murmuring comforts, still searching the planet for his daughter's ki. He felt his son's ki getting closer, meaning a nurse was bringing him to their room. This time, a different nurse brought the little guy in. He was already awake and crying, mourning the closeness of his twin. Gohan scooped the little guy up and cradled him in his arms. Videl kissed his forehead; "my little boy... we'll find your sister, I promise..." tears still trickled down her cheeks as she comforted her baby. Gohan watched over them, still absently searching for his little girl's ki..._

_*Deep beneath the sea*_

"_Oh, Brielle, sister, she's absolutely perfect!" Rasana smiled, cradling Pan to her chest. "We picked her out just for you, sister. I know it hasn't been the same since... since Raissa. She won't be a replacement, but I thought she'd help fill the void." Reye gently caressed Pan's cheek. "Thank you, sister." Rasana kissed Pan's forehead, "She's not my baby, but she'll help me get over her loss." Pan cooed and wriggled her new tail. "She'll make a wonderful princess," Brielle smiled, "The kingdom will love her."_

_Two families. One grieving the sudden disappearance of their new daughter. The other celebrating the arrival of a new mermaid princess. Will Fate bring these two families together, or will it keep them apart?_


	2. Chapter One: First Meeting

**Slight time skip here, Pan and Chase are four, Bra and Marron are five.**

***four years later***

Rasana and Reye look up from their work when they heard the soft, beautiful humming of the approaching Princess, soft smiles on their faces. "I wonder what she wants now, sister." Reye chuckled, looking over at her sister with amusement in her eyes, "it doesn't matter, since you can't say no to her." Rasana blushed pink, "she's too adorable to say no to. I can't help it." Her sister rolled her bright golden eyes skyward, "Just wait till she hits The Change, then you'll have to put your foot down." her sister nodded slowly, her eyes moving to the door as it creaked open just enough to allow their favorite cherub into the library. Pan had waves of dark brown silk flowing down to her undeveloped hips, a small purple tube top to match her growing fishtail, and her green eyes were as bright and sharp as her mothers. Her shell pink lips pulled into a large, cheerful grin **(Son Grin)** and she swam over to her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist, "Mama, can I go out of the palace grounds and play near the surface? I found the most beautiful little cove and I'd like to go visit it again." Rasana sighed, "Chai, I don't know..." Big, pale green eyes popped into her vision, glistening slightly, despite them being underwater. The Queen sighed, knowing she'd never be able to resist her beautiful cherub, "Go ahead, and tell Aunt Bri that you're going so she can come get you in two hours." Pan squealed and kissed her mother's cheek, "thanks, mama," and swam out of the library as fast as she could. Rasana sighed, '_I am such a pushover when it comes to my baby...' _

"Princess, do be careful not to reveal yourself to humans!" Brielle yelled after the small mermaid swimming ahead of her. "Okay, Aunt Bri!" Pan yelled back, already headed towards the surface. "Oh, spirits, that child's an adventurous little thing." Brielle whispered, watching the small purple tail flapping behind the princess, and the mass of dark brown curls flying around her body. "I'll check up on her in an hour or so." Brielle flapped her blue tail and headed back into the palace...

Pan surfaced near a small cove and paddled her way into the shallow water. She lay on her back in the clear blue water for a moment, and then spotted a nice rock for her to sun bathe on. She dragged herself onto it and lay on her stomach with her head on her arms and closed her eyes, sighing as the warmth enveloped her. The young princess soon drifted off into a light nap, smiling peacefully...

Down the beach, the Z-Senshi were having a beach party, and the younger children had wandered down the beach towards a small cove. "Tag!" Chase yelled, tagging Bra. "Aw, no fair!" Bra cried, chasing after him. Marron followed, "wait for me!" the three children ran through the sand, towards the thick grouping of trees surrounding the cove. Chase wasted no time in going through the leaves, and Bra, too upset with her current position as '_it_', followed him through. Marron, not desiring to be left behind, gingerly pushed her way through the thick mass of branches and leaves. She came out on the other side, finding her friends frozen on the sand, gaping at something. "You guys, what- whoa..." There, on a rock jutting out of the shallow water of the cove lay a small mermaid. The girl couldn't have been much older then they. She had thick dark brown hair that was glued to her back like an oil slick, and her eyes, though closed, were clearly large. Her soft pink lips were pulled into a peaceful little grin, and she was resting her head on her arms, clearly asleep. Where her legs should've been was a glistening purple fishtail, proportionate to her body, and the fin was gently flicking against the rock.

"Oh my gosh, what's a mermaid doing here?" Bra said softly, "it's like the movie we watched yesterday, Marron." Marron nodded slowly, still watching the sleeping mermaid. Chase hadn't said a word, simply watching the creature sleep with an inquisitive eye. Something in him felt like it knew her from somewhere, but he was certain he'd never met any mermaids. Strange, blurry memories of soft, hypnotic voices, pretty faces hovering over him, and a baby, swaddled in a blanket and wearing a pink cap being nestled in one of the pretty lady's arms flashed in his eyes. He felt a deep connection to this baby girl who'd haunted his dreams since before he could remember, but why did this mermaid evoke the same connection, the same sense of _knowing_?

As if feeling the gazes on her, Pan began to stir, clenching her eyes and yawning as she slowly came out of her strange dream. Blurred visions of a human woman with a sweaty face and tired lilac eyes smiling down at her, and a human man with mysterious black eyes leaning down to kiss her forehead. She sensed that she was an infant in her dreams; a human one, but how could that be? She was a mermaid, not a human. She also remembered a baby boy lying next to her in a strange, plastic manger in her dreams. He had dark hair and lilac eyes, and he looked like a doppelganger of the man with the inviting black eyes and cheerful smile, at least, if it weren't for his eyes, which were clearly his mother's; the woman she'd seen. She yawned once more and opened her eyes, only to gasp in shock.

Chase stared into the wide, pale green eyes of the mermaid that was now only inches away from his face. He'd crept closer to her as soon as she began to stir, feeling a strange urge to be near her when she awoke. Bra and Marron stood back and watched, wide-eyed, as he walked through the shallow blue water to get to the mermaid. She stared at him mutely, clearly shocked. He smiled gently, "Hi." She smiled in return, "Hello. What's your name?" He replied, as though he wasn't speaking to a mermaid, "I'm Chase." Her smile widened, "I'm Panchaia, but I prefer Pan, not as much of a mouthful." A strange bolt of recognition shot down his spine when she mentioned her preferred name, but he ignored it, "Why are you sleeping on a rock? Don't you have a bed and a home?" The mermaid giggled, "Yeah, but I came here to play, and I guess I fell asleep while I was sunning myself. The sun feels really good, ya know?" He nodded, "What's it like, being a mermaid?" She sat up, beaming, "it's the coolest thing ever. You get to..."

Bra and Marron watched the two children jump into a deep conversation, bewildered by their sudden bonding. "I wish I could do that." Bra murmured, looking over at Marron. "Yeah, me too." The blonde nodded. They both looked up when Chase beckoned to them, "Come here, Pan wants to meet you!" the girls looked at each other, shrugged, and ran over, giggling.

*At the beach party*

"Trunks, Goten, could you go get the kids, I think they wandered off." Bulma called from her towel beside Videl and Eighteen. "Please?" Videl smiled over at the two boys. "Mom, they have Chase with them. He'll protect them just fine." Trunks whined. Bulma shot him a look, "Go, before I take away your allowance." That was all the incentive he needed, "come on, Goten." The two boys followed the children's ki down the beach, to a cluster of trees. "I hope no one got poison ivy going through this mess." Goten muttered, pushing branches aside. "Ditto." Trunks agreed. The boys made it through the trees and froze at the sight before them.

Pan gasped as two grown male humans came through the trees and used her arms to propel her body off of the rock, diving into the water and swimming a safe distance away. She watched her new friend, Chase, scold one of them, "Uncle Goten, you scared Pan away!" 'Goten' blushed and waved his hands nervously as Chase continued to berate him. The one with the strange lavender hair was watching her, blue eyes wide with surprise. She lowered herself so only her eyes and everything above them was visible, hiding her blush at his attractiveness. '_He's cute_,' she thought dreamily, '_if only he was a merman and a few years younger, then, when I come of Age, I could date him... wait, what am I thinking?_' She snapped out of her thoughts when Chase called out to her, "They won't hurt you, Pan, come back!" she timidly swam back into the cove and perched herself back on her rock. Bra walked up to the cute lavender haired one and kicked him in the shin, "you scared my new friend, Trunks!" she smiled; his name fit him.

Goten couldn't stop staring at the small mermaid sitting on the rock. Something about her reminded him of Videl and Gohan. '_Come on, Goten, she has brown hair and green eyes_.' But he couldn't shake the feeling, and her name was Pan, the name of his missing niece. He raised a brow when Trunks approached the rock; per Bra's orders, to apologize.

Trunks smiled invitingly at the young mermaid sitting the rock, though his mind was reeling at the existence of her kind. '_Well,_' he thought ruefully, '_aliens exist, so why not mermaids?_' She blushed, looking up at him with her bright green eyes. Something about her not only reminded him of Videl and Gohan, but _screamed _'Chichi'. If it weren't for the coloring, she might look just like Chichi and Gohan. There was no way, however, for him to find this out for sure. "Hey, Pan, I'm sorry about scaring you earlier." He said softly. "It's alright, you didn't mean to." Her little voice was beautiful and quite mature for someone her age. The only other children who could speak so clearly and evenly were his sister, Marron, and Chase.

"Hey, your parents are looking for you." Goten spoke up, and Chase pouted. He wanted to talk to his new mermaid friend more. "Will we see you again?" Marron asked the question that had been on the tip of his tongue. "Sure, just find something, like a shell or a rock or something, and I'll show you how." The three human children set to work hunting for an object and quickly passed them to Pan once they found them. Bra found a sparkly white conch shell with a coral pink inside, Marron found an empty hermit crab shell that was a mixture of white, cream, and tan, and Chase found a shiny black stone that was smooth all over. Pan had found a small, round white stone in the shallows for herself, and looked over at Trunks and Goten, "would you like a charm?"

Trunks found himself nodding at her question, and he found a small sand dollar buried in the sand. Goten found a conch shell that looked just like Bra's. Bra blushed when she saw her crush holding the similar object and passed it to Pan. The mermaid took all of the objects and held them in her hands, murmuring softly. A silvery blue glow emitted from her hands as she whispered, and everyone watched, entranced as she opened her palms. The objects they'd picked were now hung on a black cord, like a necklace. Pan put hers around her neck, "you can make them into a necklace, bracelet, or anklet, all you have to do is put it on wherever you want it, and it'll fit." Bra took her conch and put the cord around her wrist. The cord shrunk to accommodate the small appendage, "Wow..." Marron took hers and put it around her neck. "It'll glow whenever you're here on the beach, and I'll come when I can." Pan smiled at them, "I'll see you soon." Everyone collected their objects, and Pan went into the water. Everyone gathered at the edge to watch her swim away. "Don't tell anyone!" she yelled, waving. "We won't! Bye, Panny!" Bra answered for everyone, waving gleefully. Marron joined her, as did Chase. "Bye, guys!" the young mermaid dove beneath the waves, her tail slapping against the water before disappearing with her...

"I was just coming to get you, Pan." Brielle met the Princess half-way, "where'd you get such a beautiful necklace?" Pan beamed, "I made it, Aunt Bri." Brielle chuckled, "Did you have a good time in your cove?" the Princess nodded, "I got a good sunning in, and a pretty good nap."

"Meet any new sea creatures? Friends, possibly?" Pan smiled secretively, "a few new creatures, auntie. I wanna go see Mama, now." Brielle snickered as the Princess flapped her tail harder to propel herself quicker, zooming into the palace, '_She's such a sweetheart...'_

*Surface*

"Trunks, she's a Princess, just like me!" Bra squealed as they walked back towards the group on the beach, "Her mom's a Queen of a mermaid kingdom, isn't that cool?" Trunks smiled at his excited little sister, "Yeah, that's cool, Bra, maybe you two can have talks about being Princesses." The bluenette nodded, overjoyed, "I'll bring my tea set, and we'll have a tea party, right, Marron?" Marron nodded, and the two girls fell into conversation, leaving Trunks out. "Man, mermaids?" Goten nudged him, "what's next? My niece turns up out of the blue?" Trunks shrugged, "You never know. Man, aliens exist, so why not mermaids?" Goten nodded in agreement, "Gohan still searches for her, y'know. When Videl and Chase are asleep, he goes out and searches. He says the closest thing he's found to Pan is this really weird ki that feels like her, but it has an undercurrent that's sea creature or something. Other than that, nothing. I think he should follow the weird ki and see what it leads to, or who it belongs to. Did Pan remind you of Gohan and Videl, or what?" Trunks nodded, "if it weren't for the coloring, she might be able to pass for their daughter. Kinda strange that they have the same name. Pan isn't all that common." Goten shrugged, "maybe it's common underwater, and besides, Pan's a nickname for her full name. can't help but feel suspicious, huh?" The lavender haired demi chuckled, "sure, like the women who stole Pan from the nursery magically transformed her into a mermaid. How likely is that?" the best friends shared a laugh and continued on their way, slowly coming to terms with the existence of this new mythical creature...

The newfound friends met a lot over the next few years, whenever they could persuade Trunks and Goten to take them to the beach, and soon, the elder demis found themselves looking forward to the beach visits, coming to enjoy the company of the mermaid...

*five years later*

"So, tell me about school." Pan said softly, looking up at Chase. She was nine now, and her body was starting to go into The Change, already hinting at a curvaceous figure and a full chest. Chase was also nine, and his voice had started cracking nearly a month ago, preparing to get deeper and more masculine. The two friends had formed a deep, almost sibling-esque bond that was stronger than any known substance on earth.

"Well, there's this girl," Chase began, blushing; "her name's Kasaiya Furaru, and I think she's pretty." Pan giggled, "Are you... what's the word, crushing on her?" He blushed harder, "she gave me a kiss on the cheek today during recess." The mermaid furrowed her brow, "what's a kiss?" Chase's eyes widened, "you don't know what a kiss is?" Trunks, his chaperone, came over, leaving Bra and Marron building a sandcastle, "This is a kiss, Panny." He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her cheek. Pan gasped mutely as a burning bolt of fire shot through her veins when his soft lips met her damp skin. He pulled away and she nodded, "O-oh, that... my mama gives me those before bed every night." Trunks smiled, though he was reeling inside, '_what the hell are you thinking?_' Pan continued to talk to Chase, though her mind remained focused on a certain lavender haired prince.

'_Why did he affect me like that, and why do I like it?' _The mermaid had no answer for herself, and attempted to return to normal. Oh, but it was too late. The seeds had already been planted, and now they had to start growing...

**Next chapter features GT aspects. I'm not a hundred percent on GT, but I'll try to make it as accurate as possible, though things will mostly be from Pan's side of the story, with bits of Trunks and Chase. Kasaiya is my OC, and Chase's future girlfriend. Review, por favor! By the way, Kasaiya's not human, but it's up to you to guess what she is. The answer is hidden in her name, so it can't be too hard, and don't worry, there's a backstory to explain how.**


	3. Chapter Two: Prices to Pay

**This chapter picks up two years after the last chapter, and will progress to the start of GT, where Chase will take Pan's place on board the ship, and I'll explain more about what The Change is, as well as coming of Age. I'm trying to put my own, unique spin on the mermaid thing, so just bear with me.**

***2 years later***

"Pan, who was the very first Queen of Okeanon?" Brielle asked, looking up at her charge. Pan was gazing out of the window, at the mermaids swimming through the market place. The myriad of colorful scales always managed to entrance her. Her hands absentmindedly played with a braid in her hair, twiddling the end around her fingers as she watched them laugh and play; while she was holed up in the palace, learning how to be Queen once her mother stepped down. "_Panchaia Aiseili!_" she jerked, "Yes, Aunt Bri?" Brielle narrowed her eyes, "You need to listen to your lesson. Who was the very first Queen of Okeanon?"

Pan sighed sharply, sitting up straight on her shell before reciting, "The very first Mermaid Queen was Her Majesty, Queen Avelei Coria. She's also the longest reigning Queen, having held the position of monarchy for 75 and a half centuries before stepping down to allow her daughter, Princess Orria Lydrian, to assume the throne." Brielle smiling softly, shaking her head, "I should've known you were listening, you have ears like a sea sponge, even though your eyes have the attention span of a guppy." Pan giggled and glanced down, "may I go to my cove now?" Her charm glowed a soft golden orange, symbolizing that Chase was at the beach, waiting for her. Her mentor smiled, "go ahead, Princess, you have three hours." Pan lunged forward and hugged her, "thank you, could you tell Mama where I've gone, so she won't worry?" Brielle nodded and kissed her forehead, "I'll tell your mother, now run along." Pan giggled and shot out of the room, torpedoing towards the surface...

*at the surface*

"I think you'd like my grandpa Goku." Chase said softly, smiling at his friend as they waded in the water. The edge of Pan's fin brushed against his leg as they moved in circles, "Really? What's he like?" He smiled nostalgically, "Well, he's the purest man I know. Kinda naïve, but still great. He and my dad train me together... when he's home, that is. He's been busy training this guy named Uub. He seems cool, and he's supposed to be the next savior of the planet." Pan sighed, "I don't have any other family, accept for my Aunt and my Mama." Chase furrowed his brow, "You don't have a Dad?" Pan sighed softly, "I had a Papa and a big sister, but my Papa was killed by human sorcerers a few years before I was born. They took my sister, her name was Raissa, and Mama hasn't seen her since."

"A few years? But a woman needs a man to have a child at least a year before they have a baby." Chase said softly. "Maybe I got the story wrong." Pan murmured, looking thoughtful. He shrugged, "I think so." Her green eyes lit with a teasing light, "so... how are things with _Kasaiya_?" Chase blushed, "We're really close friends now, but I've been thinking of asking her out." Pan looked over at him, "ask her out? What does that mean?" Chase smiled over at her, "it's when a guy takes a girl somewhere nice to get her to like them." She nodded slowly, "Well, that's why he did that..." Lilac eyes whipped over to look at her, "What happened?"

"A visiting Prince took me to the Great Barrier Reef, as you humans call it, for a few hours yesterday. I guess he wanted me to like him." Chase felt a hot wave of brotherly protectiveness wash over him, "Well, I hope you weren't interested." She nodded, "I'm eleven. Mama said I won't be considering marriage until I turn fourteen, when my Change is done." Chase frowned, "_Change_?"

"When a female mer-creature goes through a time period of physical and hormonal growth that lasts a year or so at the age of thirteen. Basically, I'll be almost full grown by the time I'm fourteen, and I'll be an adult mermaid by sixteen, meaning I'm what you refer to as '_legal_'." Pan said blandly, as though she were commenting on the weather. "Like puberty?" Chase asked. "What the heck is puberty?" Pan frowned at the word, not sure that she liked the way it rolled off of her tongue, "What does it entail?"

"Basically the same thing you described, but for humans. Does the Change do anything else?" Pan thought hard, "I'll be shedding my mother's coloring and receiving my true colors. Basically, it's like a snake shedding its skin. Every mermaid has their own color, that's why my mother and my aunt don't share the same coloring. Another plus is that my magic will no longer be restricted, meaning I can give myself legs and come on land. Unfortunately, it also induces a kind of sexual awakening, and all the males in the kingdom will have to leave for the next year while I finish developing. When a female is enduring her change, she gives off a pheromone that excites males to an uncontrollable extent."

**(A/N: I know there are some stories about DBZ involving a full or blood moon that causes saiyans to experience a Heat or Rut, or they're induced with ages, like 16 or 18. I'm using that element here. Basically, when a female mer-creature starts 'puberty', they give off waves of pheromones that cause males to go into a frenzy trying to mate with said female, and usually start fights to the death. That's why all the males are leaving the kingdom. It wouldn't do for the Princess to get raped. As to why two eleven year olds are discussing puberty like it's nothing? Well, they're Gohan's kids, so they're just advanced like that.)**

"Wow... and I thought puberty was hard..." Pan chuckled, "I'm surprised you didn't run when I mentioned the sexual parts." Chase rolled his eyes, "I'm learning at a much higher level than most eleven year olds, thanks to my grandma Chichi." Pan grinned, "My teacher; Aunt Bri, is the same way; she always has me studying. I'm way ahead of the other kids my age."

*few days later*

Pan was swimming along the halls of her palace after a lesson with her Aunt Reye and Bri when the necklace around her neck began to pulse and glow a light purple. '_It's Trunks!_' she immediately swam out of the palace to go meet him, a wide grin on her face.

"About time." Trunks called, watching the mermaid surface. She wasn't so little anymore; subtle curves were forming, and her chest definitely wasn't flat anymore. Her tail was a faded purple, which was strange to him. Pan swam into the cove, "Trunks!" He walked out into the water and scooped her up out of the water bridal style, spinning in a circle. She squealed and held onto him tightly, pleasant electricity running through her body. "Your tail is faded." He said softly, placing her on her favorite rock. "Because I'm about to shed it. This will be the last time before I get rid the color entirely." She smiled up at her friend, "how are things at... umm, at Capsule Corp?" Pan scratched her head, unsure of if she got the name right.

"That's right, Pan, and things are great. How are things in Okeanon?" She frowned, "I've gotten into the really hard parts of learning to be Queen, and it's no fun... just _sitting _there, listening to Aunt Bri go on and on about the kingdom's history and establishment. I've learned the name of every Queen, right down to my mother, as well their Consorts, or husbands. In Okeanon, the males aren't as important as females because it is we who bear young and provide food for the young, despite the fact that there's a shortage of mermaids in the Kingdoms, we're heralded because we represent the future of the Kingdom. Mother is already looking at Princes from other kingdoms..." '_But there's only one I want, and he's not the same species...' _she shook her head free from the fantasy she'd hatched, "They've been coming and going, and I'm expected to pick one to marry once I turn sixteen." Trunks frowned, "Sixteen? That's so young-" Pan shook her head, "Sixteen to us is what eighteen is to you. A mer-creature is seen as an adult upon the age of sixteen. We stop aging every year once we reach sixteen, and only age once every hundred years, unless we chose to leave the ocean and become humans in almost every sense of the word. We'll age like humans if we make the choice, but our magic is still there, and we still have to turn into our original forms daily. I'd like to do that, but, as a Royal, it's out of the question. I have even less of a chance because I'm an only child. If my sister hadn't been kidnapped, I might've been able to... but I can't turn my back on my mother like this. She's been Queen for 35 centuries now, and she's grown tired of it. It's my duty-"

"What about what you want, Pan?" Trunks cut in, finally tired of hearing about the unfairness that was her life, "You deserve to be happy, too, and you obviously won't have that if you take the throne!" His voice climbed, and she stared at him curiously. "Trunks," Pan murmured, "it doesn't matter what _I_ want... it's what's good for my Kingdom. It's my duty, as Princess, to do what's right, and this is my _birthright_, Trunks. I was always meant to be a Queen, and I can't change who I was born to, or what bloodline I was born in." His will crumbled, and he knelt before her, "Pan... I couldn't bear it if you had to spend the rest of your life unhappy." Her eyes widened, "Trunks..." Trunks pulled the mermaid into his arms and kissed her forehead, "I think you deserve all the happiness in the world, Pan." Pan cupped his cheek, staring into his crystalline eyes; so full of fire, "I _can't_, Trunks." An air of finality rang in her voice, "believe me, if I had the choice, I would, but I can't." she kissed his cheek, "could you let me go, now?" Trunks nodded shakily and set her down on the rock. Pan dove into the water and swam away, pearly tears running down her cheeks...

**(A/N: Okay, so humans cry salt water, right? I decided that mermaids cry pearls... or at least **_**mine **_**do. Everyone thinks that pearls come **_**just **_**from oysters... Ha!)**

"Pan, you're home early." Rasana swam over to her daughter, "your eyes are bloodshot, what's wrong?" Pan shook her head, "hormones. Mama, I'm fine," wiping her eyes. "Good, Prince Nevus has returned, and he was asking for you. He's a sweet boy, and he's only a year older than you." Pan's already dull mood drooped even further, "Oh, okay." Rasana kissed her cheek, "Come on, love, he's waiting for you in the throne room." She nodded and swam past her mother...

"Pan, you look radiant." She forced a smile, "Nevus... Hello." He was probably handsome by the standards of other mermaids, but to Pan, he was just another merman. Her mind wandered to a strong male with thick lavender hair and eyes bluer than the very sea she resided in. the only problem was that he had legs and she did not... not with the magic restriction on until she turned fourteen. She pushed away the longing thoughts and looked into Nevus's eyes. They were a deep sea green, and his head was crowned with a mass of wavy golden silk. "Princess, would you like to take a swim along the reef?" Pan sighed inaudibly; she might as well get used to her life as future Queen. '_Queens don't have time to visit the surface..._' She bit her lip to hold the sobs she wanted to release in, "Alright, let's go swim by the reef, Your Highness." Nevus smiled, "Just call me Nevus, Princess," and, holding her gaze, brought her hand up to his lips. A wave of revulsion ran through her as his rough lips met the skin on the back of her hand. She longed for a different, fuller, and softer set of lips to caress her hand... '_Queens can't visit the surface, Pan,_' she reminded herself, forcing a smile as Nevus gently led her out of the palace. Her mother and Aunt Reye watched them go, soft smiles on their faces.

"So, what do you do for fun?" Nevus asked softly, looking over his shoulder. Pan was staring across the vast, colorful reef, a million miles away from where they were, judging by the blankness in her eyes. "Princess?" She jumped, "Yes, Nevus?" He smiled shyly, "I was wondering, when you come of Age, would you like to be my wife?" Her jaw dropped, and he swam forward, taking her hand in his, "You don't have to answer right now, but please... will you consider it?" Pan stared at him in slack jawed shock, "I... I don't know what to say, Nevus, it's so sudden." He kissed her hand, and she inwardly cringed at the sensation of his lips on her hand, "Princess, I'm all yours as soon as you turn sixteen."

"That's... that's five years from now, I could consider another Prince, and I don't want to lead you on if I choose another." Pan pulled away, "I want to go home, Nevus." He grasped her wrists desperately, "Princess, _please_!" She cried out and pulled away, "Let _go of me_! Nevus, let go!" Pan pulled back and punched him in the face, just like how Chase showed her. He roared in pain as his nose broke, "You _bitch, _you broke my damn _nose_!" she pulled away and started speeding away from him, heart racing in her chest...

"Pan! _What happened_?" Rasana rushed over to her daughter, taking her up in a hug. "Mama, he grabbed me..." Pan burrowed her face in her mother's chest, crying softly. Rasana kissed her forehead, "don't worry, he won't be allowed _anywhere_ near you ever again. I'll kill him first. Come on; let's go to your room so you can relax." Pan nodded, allowing her mother to lead the way.

*On the surface*

"CHASE!" Chase looked up, smiling as a beautiful eleven year old Kasaiya ran over to him. She had gorgeous soft brown hair and pale blue eyes. She smiled at him as she caught up with him, "So, are you ready for the test tomorrow in History?" He nodded, "Yeah, what about you?" Kasaiya blushed, '_His smile is so handsome_... _Kasaiya, answer the question!' _"Can you come over and study with me?" Chase nodded happily, "I'll ask my Mom and Dad and then I'll be right over." She grinned, "Cool," and started running towards the pick-up area. "Kassie, wait!" Chase grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt. "Yeah, Chase?" He blushed furiously, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "Umm... Kassie, would you like to be my girlfriend?" '_There, I asked her out. Pan, you better be right about this!_' Kasaiya's jaw dropped, "Huh? _Really_?" His blush increased, "Uh... yeah." Kassie squealed and hugged him, "Yes! I'd _love _to be your girlfriend, Chase! Umm... what do we do now?" He shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure. I'll see you at your place?" She nodded, "Yup. See you then." Kassie kissed his cheek and skipped over to the pick-up, smiling the whole way. Chase watched her go, a dreamy smile on his face...

**Okay, no GT yet, just trying to include the difficulties that come with being the Princess of a Mermaid Kingdom and the start of Chase's love life. No, it's not going to be all '**_**sunshine and rainbows**_**' from here on out, mainly because they're only eleven and they need more time to mature and develop into adults. The next chapter will be TxP centric, and **_**then **_**we'll get into GT stuff.**

**Preview:**

_Pan sat up in bed happily. It was her twelfth birthday, meaning she was one more year closer to her Change and getting her own, unique colors. Suddenly, her door slammed open and a male guard lunged at her, eyes hazed in what could only be lust. She opened her mouth and let out a shrill cry as he fell on her..._


	4. Surprise, Love, and Thirst for Vengeance

**I know, some people are anxious to know what's going to happen to Pan, so I had to get this one out quickly. Enjoy!**

Dreams of colorful scales and reefs danced in the young princess's mind as she slowly awakened from the land of Nod. She stretched lightly and opened her eyes, a silly smile on her face. She slowly sat up, giddiness filling her being. Today was her twelfth birthday, meaning only one more year until her change came, and four more until she was considered a woman. Her happy mood was shattered as her door was flung open, and a guard filled the space of her doorframe, blank lust in his eyes. He lunged at her, and she reeled back, releasing a high pitched scream as his weight came down on her. He suddenly groaned in pain and rolled off of her, onto the floor of her bedroom, knocked unconscious. Her aunt floated over them, holding a blow dart gun. Her nose twitched, "Your Change started a year early, Pan." Pan's jaw fell, "W-what?" she was still in a mild state of shock from the previous happenings of her birthday morning. "Sweet heart, the pheromones are rolling off of you, we need to get the men out of the Kingdom, now. Your mother and Brielle are handling that, and, judging by the state of your skin, hair, and tail, you'll be shedding your mother's colors in no time. Your change looks like it'll be done in less than five months." Pan's eyes popped wide, "I thought it took a year!" even now she could sense the change in her voice. The childish lilt was fading, becoming the rich vibrato of a woman. She looked down at her body. If she watched long and closely enough, she could see her hips widening out, and her waist cinching up, almost like a corset was being slowly tightened around her abdomen. Her chest definitely felt heavier than it did yesterday. "Oh... oh _spirits_..." Pan fell back into her bed in a dead faint, bewildered by the revelation...

**(A/N: Someone mentioned Pan's saiyan blood affecting her growth. Well, where it takes a mermaid a year to complete their growth and development, Pan's will only take four to five months.)**

*Above the sea*

Chase, Bra, Marron, Trunks, and Goten were at the cove, waiting for their friend to show up so they could celebrate hers and Chase's birthday. Kasaiya, a new addition to the group, was also with them. Bra and Marron had warmed up nicely to the girl, surprisingly, considering Bra's stubborn ways. She usually didn't like sudden intrusions on her circle of friends. Kassie stared out to see, her eyes glazed with wonder, "Wow... it's so peaceful out here." Chase wrapped an arm around her waist, struggling to contain his blush. He still couldn't get his blushing to stop whenever he interacted with Kassie. "I know, isn't it?" His voice had, shocking, stopped cracking within a year of beginning, and was already becoming the rich, deep, masculine voice his father and uncle had, and his muscle definition was becoming less childish, and more like that of a young man. His hair style was similar to his father's when he fought Cell, and his lilac eyes, as always, were the piece of his mother he carried with him everywhere. '_Why isn't she coming?' _he wondered, '_Pan, Kassie really wants to meet you..._'

Pan woke up from her faint to an empty bedroom, and a quiet palace. '_How long was I out?' _She looked down at her charm, shocked to find it pulsing with every color that represented her friends above the surface. She made sure no one was coming to her room before fleeing through the window to go see them...

Everyone jumped when Pan suddenly surfaced with a splash, pulling herself up on her rock. "Pan, happy birthday!" Bra squealed, running over to hug her. "Thanks, Bra." Pan welcomed the hug readily. "Who, Pan, you look... _different_." Goten said softly, eyeing her. The mermaid blushed, "My Change started a year early, and it's moving faster than normal." Trunks's eyes widened in alarm, "did any of the men attack you?" She nodded, "this morning, when I woke up, one of the guards tried to, but my Aunt knocked him out. She told me about my Change starting early, and I fainted."

Kassie was watching from behind her boyfriend, jaw hanging in shock. His best friend... was a _mermaid_? Her eyes roved over the sparkling, scaly purple tail in awe. Pan had long thick dark brown hair, though it seemed to be turning black, big, pale green eyes that looked like they too were changing colors, and her tail was faded, like a snake about to shed its skin. Pan seemed to be itching terribly, because her hands were rubbing incessantly against her tail, as if to relieve terrible irritation. Pan's gaze moved to Kassie, and her jaw fell, "Oh, spirits... you look just like my mother. It's amazing how much you look like her. She has green eyes, though."

Everyone looked at Kassie in wonder. Kassie blushed, "I- I'll take that as a compliment, I guess." Pan smiled welcomingly, and Kassie marveled over how much she resembled her boyfriend's father, "You must be Kasaiya. Chase talks about you all the time." Kassie blushed and looked over at Chase, "you told her about me?" Chase nodded, "I told her about my crush, and she told me I should ask you out, so she's the reason we're together." Marron and Bra giggled at the red coating Chase's cheeks. "Thanks for setting him straight, Pan." Kassie said thankfully. "I'm surprised you haven't run screaming yet." Pan teased, gesturing to her tail. "Yeah, well I guess I've got a high tolerance for things out of the ordinary." '_Seeing a mermaid in front of me actually seems like its normal, everyday stuff...' _Kassie mulled over her strange acceptance of Pan's species. She didn't even feel out of her element, like she'd been around mermaids since the day she was born. She grinned at Pan, wondering what it would be like, having a tail instead of legs. All her life, she'd never felt comfortable with legs, like she should've been born another creature, and now, at last, she'd figured out what that creature was...

**(A/N: Ring any bells?)**

Trunks placed a hand on Pan's head and ran his fingers through her hair. Pan shivered slightly as one of his fingers ghosted over her shoulder. "Panny, you think you'll be able to get back home alright?" She shook her head, "No, I haven't the slightest clue where all the male mermaids have gone, but I don't think I should take the-" she froze, her necklace flashing bright green. "You need to get out of here! My mother's coming!" She found her voice, and began warding them away, "Go, she'll flip if she finds out I've been-"

"You've been _what_, young lady?" Pan flinched, turning to face her enraged mother, "H-Hi, Mama." Rasana narrowed her green eyes, "I thought one of the men had found a way back in and made off with you, and instead, I find you here, cavorting with humans like it's nothing! They killed you father, Panchaia, and stole your sister from us!" Pan clenched her fists, "Those humans were also wizards, my _friends_ are not _wizards_, mother! You'd-" She was cut off as her mother suddenly gasped, her eyes locked on something beyond her. She looked over her shoulder to find Kassie standing there, staring at her mother in surprise. "Mama," Pan whispered, "Mama, what is it?" Rasana could barely breathe; her body was frozen with shock. Everything fit. Her soft brown hair, Hairo's beautiful, pale blue eyes, her exact facial structure... she'd never forget the face of her first born. "R-Raissa..."

Pan's jaw fell for the second time that day, "Raissa?" she looked back at Kassie, mentally comparing her face to the baby she saw in the small painting on her nightstand. '_Why is she human?_' She wondered, staring at her with new eyes. Rasana heaved a sad sigh, taking Pan's hand, "Come. We're going home." Pan nodded mournfully, "Good bye," looking at her friends sadly. She'd probably never see them again... "Wait!" she gasped as Trunks cried out before her mother could dive under, "You can't just take Pan away! It's not fair to her!" Rasana eyed this strange, outspoken young man closely, '_He loves her_.' She looked over at Pan, who was watching him with adoration clear in her eyes. Her daughter was trying to hide it, but she had a practiced eye when it came to these things. The Queen decided, then and there, that she couldn't bear to ruin her child's happiness, even though the things she had to tell her most likely would break her heart. "She'll be back soon, don't worry." Rasana said, voice strangely subdued. Pan smiled weakly at Trunks, mouthed a quick '_thank you_', and dove under behind her mother. Kassie was stock-still on the sand, staring at the spot the elder mermaid had just vacated.

*At the palace*

Pan followed her mother into her bedroom and took a seat on her shell bed, staring at her expectantly. "I have something to tell you," the Queen began, "and it's not going to be pleasant for you, but remember, no matter what, I'll always love you." Pan's eye brows furrowed, "Mama, I could never hate you. What is it?" Rasana took a deep breath, "I'm not your biological mother, Pan." Pan's eyes shot wide, "Wha-" Rasana held up a hand, "Let me finish. It'd had been seven months since I lost your father and sister, and I was completely lost in my misery, just withering away to nothing. So your Aunt and Brielle decided that the only way to fill the void was to bring me another baby. _You_. I thought it was strange that you shared my exact coloring, but Reye told me that it was pure coincidence. Your real mother abandoned you on the edge of the kingdom's limits, and they brought you to me. Once I saw your beautiful face, I knew that you'd be my light; that you'd help me overcome the darkness. But, then, when I saw the girl on the beach... Pan, that's her. That's my lost angel."

**(A/N: Reye and Brielle lied to Rasana and told her that they found Pan abandoned, knowing she'd never take a human baby that was turned into a mermaid, so it's not her fault, she didn't know.)**

"So, now that you've found Raissa... you don't need me anymore." Pan said bluntly, staring at the edges of her fins blankly. Iridescent pearls formed in her eyes, but she blinked them away. "Pan, I could _never _do that to you. You're my baby, and I promised you that I'd love you no matter what." Rasana tried to hug her, but Pan jerked away, "No. Don't touch me. I need some time alone." The Princess floated up from her bed and escaped through the window, headed back to her cove. Only then did she allow the tears to stream down her cheeks...

When she surfaced, Trunks was the only one still there. She didn't even have the strength to climb up on her rock, so she curled up at the base and started sobbing, not caring that he was there, watching her. Trunks scooped her up and sat on the rock, cradling her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, webbed fingers splayed on his shoulders, bawling until her throat gave out, and all she could do was shake with dry sobs. All through this, Trunks remained, rubbing her back and humming, trying to console his mermaid Princess. Her sorrow reigned on until late in the night, where she slumped against him and whispered, "She told me that she's not my real mother." Her voice was cracked and hoarse from her crying spree, "This is the _worst _birthday _ever_." She started up at him with bloodshot eyes, "Why didn't she tell me sooner, Trunks?" He kissed the top of her head, "She didn't want to hurt you." Pan shook her head, frustrated, "It wouldn't have mattered, either way, she _lied _to me. They_ lied_ to me. I've never felt so alone..."

"I'm here for you, Panny." She blinked, a sudden wave of determination coming over her. Before he could react, she stretched up and slammed her lips into his, kissing him deeply, needing so desperately to feel loved and wanted. Trunks lost all control the minute her lips came into contact with his, and began kissing her back with equal fervor. '_This is wrong,_' his mind whispered, '_but I don't care_. _I love her..._' Pan shuddered with the sudden emotions and sensations filling her being, '_Oh spirits, this is amazing... I love him so much..._' After several eternities of being submerged in a universe consisting only of the two of them, the two parted. The full weight of the situation hit Pan like a whale, and she scrambled away from him, "Trunks, I can't do this." He phased and grabbed her before she could swim away and placed her on the sand so she couldn't escape, "Why are you so afraid? You sure weren't scared when you kissed me!" she felt her own temper flare in response, "I'm not afraid, I just have obligations that I can't attend to while I'm involved with you!" He rolled his eyes, "You don't owe her anything, she lied to you!"

"She's still the only mother I've ever had; I couldn't betray her like that!"

"That's just an excuse; you're scared because no one's ever made you feel this way!" Pan snapped, "Fine, you're right, I am scared," tears burned in her eyes, "I've started the biggest transition of my life, and then you- I'm so confused... I've never felt like this in my life. I know I love you, but how could we possibly make this," she gestured to her tail and his legs, "work? We're totally different species, Trunks..." Trunks gently wiped away the few tears that had escaped, "Shh, we'll work something out until your magic becomes unrestricted. I just know I love you... more than anything." She smiled through her tears, "I love you, too." The couple shared their second kiss under the light of a crescent moon. This one was gentle and sensual, not hungry and frenzied like the first, sealing their love for each other. Neither of them noticed the angry blue-green eyes watching them from the sea, filled with envy for the human male kissing _his _princess. '_I'll show you what happens when you refuse me, Princess Panchaia..._' he sank back into the depths, determined to make Pan pay dearly...

**I did not mean for them to end up together so soon in the story! But this is what happens when you let your fingers and imagination go wild. Before any of you freak out about Trunks kissing a twelve year old, remember, Pan's probably physically around sixteen or seventeen, and is far more mature than the average sixteen or seventeen year old. Her change will only last the next four months, due to her saiyan blood, and the next chapter will contain Kassie's reaction, and more on her backstory. The plot thickens, what is the anon person going to do? I'm pretty sure everyone knows who he is, lol, but hey, not gonna spoil it for those who don't.**

**Preview:**

"_I can't explain it, Chase, but I just felt... felt like I knew her somehow, like we're connected to each other." Kasaiya said softly, her face furrowed in confusion. Chase frowned, "I feel the same way about Pan, and I don't get it either, so you're not alone in this." Kassie sighed and laid her head on his shoulder, "I just wish I knew why she was staring at me like that, like I was..."_

**And, you'll get to see what else Kassie said in the next chapter.**


	5. Leverage

**I'm at a loss what to do with the villain I introduced last chapter, so feel free to suggest ideas. Anyways, this chapter will, at last, include Gohan and Videl, and several other DBZ couples. Enjoy the chapter. There was some mild confusion with the preview last chapter. Kassie was talking about Pan's "mother", not Pan. Enjoy the chapter! Takes place a month after Trunks kissed Pan.**

"I hate these reunion things." Bra muttered, playing her card, "skipped you, Marron." The quartet was in Chase's room, playing UNO to pass time. Chase examined his deck and played a red three, "Ditto. Kassie?" Kassie smiled and played a yellow three, "Do they do these often?" Bra rolled her eyes, "every time Mom decides she wants to have a party. Skipped you again, Maz." Marron pouted, "I _really _don't like you right now, Bra." Bra smirked and gestured for Chase to continue the circuit. "This game is so _boring_." Kassie whined. "Well, I'm going to get something to eat, come on, Marron." Bra nudged her friend. "Kay." The two girls left the room to head downstairs to the buffet. Chase sat up and scooted back to lean against his headboard, carefully adjusting his pillows to make the position more comfortable. Kassie followed him and lay across his chest, playing with his fingers. Chase ran a hand through her soft brown hair, "You seem troubled, Kas." She sighed and angled her head to look up at him, "It's Pan's mom... something about her just feels... _familiar _somehow. Like I know her from somewhere. There's a definite connection between us." Chase scowled at the ceiling as he thought hard, "You've been in an orphanage for as long as you can remember. Maybe, somehow, she's from your past."

"It's not just that. Ever since I saw her, I've had these really weird dreams about her and this merman. He's got blonde hair and my eyes. The way the dream is set, I'm always looking up at them, and I'm pretty sure I'm a mermaid baby, and it feels so _real_, like it actually happened." Kassie stared down at their intertwined fingers, "and the nightmares of the people with the weird powers. Not like yours, Chase, but just... I can't explain it. The merman from my dreams, he's always getting killed by them, and then they take me away from him, but I don't want to leave him; the thought scares me. The weird people give me this really weird liquid in a bottle, and then everything started to hurt so badly, I just wake up from it... it's just... too _real_." She blushed when she realized she'd let everything flow out of her brain like she had no filter between it and her mouth, but it was _so easy _for her to talk to Chase; to tell him everything, that she just couldn't stop herself. "That's _intense_." He replied softly, massaging the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "I know..."

Kasaiya has been an orphan for her entire life, at least as far as she could remember. She was adopted at the age of eight by the Furaru family, who were having trouble conceiving. They gave her all the love and support she deserved and more.

"Hey, come down and eat, you two." Gohan peeked into his son's room, "before your Grandpa eats all of the food." Chase helped Kassie stand, "Well, we can't let that happen." Kassie giggled and followed him down the stairs and outside to the picnic. Videl and Gohan watched them go, smiles on their faces. "You think he's going to marry her one day?" She asked Gohan mischievously. "Perhaps. I wouldn't out it past mom to start planning the ceremony." He chuckled and pulled his wife into his arms, sensing the strange but familiar ki signature in the distance...

*the next day*

Pan groaned, irritated as she pulled herself out of the water and onto the sand to roll around. She was finally in the final stages of shedding her "mother's" colors, and her lower regions itched incredibly. Her "mother", "aunt", and Brielle were avoiding her like the plague. Smart, because she didn't have the patience or the energy to deal with the massive whale shark in between them.

**(A/N: You know the saying, 'elephant in the room'? well, mermaids say whale shark.)**

"Am I interrupting something?" She jumped and looked up. Trunks smiled at his beautiful mermaid girlfriend. He'd spent the last couple of minutes watching her comical attempts to roll around in the sand. She was actually trying to get the dried purple scales off of her body.

"No," Pan huffed, "I'm trying to speed up my color shedding," wriggling her tail around in the sand. It was no use; the sand here was too fine grained to do the job she required it to do. Her hair was now a glossy black and her eyes were a beautiful blue-green, slowly shifting from pale green to a shade of blue that couldn't be deciphered yet. A few patches of purple scales were missing, revealing small expanses of smooth, sparkling periwinkle scales. "How's the working out for you?" Trunks snickered softly; the cute way she floundered around reminded him of baby harp seals. _She would make an adorable baby harp seal... but then she wouldn't be my Panny_. "I'm itchy as hell!" she wailed, "I could've peeled this off ages ago, but I need an extra set of hands for that and my so-called "family" is avoiding me like clown fish avoid barracuda waters!" **(A/N: Finding Nemo reference!) **Pan stopped her rant and smiled innocently at him, "Could you help me, love? Just hook your fingers around the peeling part at the top and pull it down." Trunks picked her up and placed her on the rock before grabbing the peeling skin and pulling it down towards her flippers. Her new tail was _stunning_. Periwinkle scales tinged with lilac glittered in the sun. Black scales ran down the side of her tail, making vines, and darker purple scales created flowers on the vines. Her flippers were now two times larger, and colored in various shades of purple and blue. Lavender streamers trailed from the very tips of her tail, and the small dorsal fin on the back like silk ribbons. The presence of the streamers signified her as royalty, even though she lacked the blood relation.

"Whoa..." Pan murmured, turning her tail this way and that to watch the scales glitter. "You look stunning." Trunks whispered, pulling her in for a hug. She giggled and blushed, "Thank-" the last bit was caught in her throat as his lips seized hers in a romantic embrace. Neither of them noticed the five sets of eyes watching them in shocked silence...

"I _knew it_," Bra whisper-yelled, "I knew they liked each other. In your face, Maz." Marron blushed, "whatever, Bra." Goten watched Bra do her victory dance in amused silence, but he was also musing over how much Pan looked like his sister in-law now that her hair was black. When she smiled, however, it was almost like looking a more feminine Gohan in the face. _She did say that the Queen wasn't her mother... but still, she's been a mermaid her whole life... or has she_? Goten continued to mull over his thoughts. Chase and Kassie were happy for the new couple, though also curious about her resemblance to the Son family. "She looks a lot like mom..." Chase whispered to Kassie. "I know..." his girlfriend said blankly, eyes trained on the sea. She could feel a deep rooted urge to go into it and swim forever, but she batted it away...

*Meanwhile*

"Don't hurt her _too_ badly... just... _push_ her in the right direction." The two female mermaid-like creatures nodded, smiling sinisterly with their insanely sharp teeth, "_Whatever you say, young one_." He nodded, "You sirens better not fail, or you won't receive your reward." The sirens smirked and waved their thin hands, each adorned with sharp claw-like nails, "_What about your blood sacrifice for our... services_?" He took a sharp rock from his belt and slit his palm open. The blood clouded into the water, and the two harpies greedily inhaled it, and then suckled from the source. He grunted in pain as they drank for a few minutes, and then pulled away, leaving a puckered pink scar behind. "_It is done. We will 'convince' the Queen to arrange a wedding between you and the Princess Panchaia. What of our reward?" _He smirked deviously, "Men... by the thousands. Free for you to lure to their deaths." The two creatures smiled wickedly, "_You know us well. Be gone, we will come to you when the task is done._" He watched the two evil creatures swim away, smiling victoriously. _Soon, Panchaia... soon, you'll be mine..._

*Okeanon*

Rasana was in her study, handling certain affairs that came with being Queen. She jumped when she heard a sound not unlike nails on glass. The Queen floated up from her seat and floated over to her door to close it. As she pushed against the door, two shadows surged into the room, knocking her flat on her back. Before she could get up, one of the shadowy figures wafted a cloudy substance into her face. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as her vision faded out...

"Sister? Sister, have you seen- Oh, spirits..." Reye took in the ransacked study with sharp eyes. A lock of brown hair wavered slightly in the current and she realized exactly what had happened. Her sister had been taken...

**I'm kinda not exactly sure about what I'm doing, but the next chapter WILL start off with some vague torture. Leave me some love!**


	6. True Form

**Chapter six. Enjoy! Starts about a week or two after the last chapter.**

Rasana came to, tied to a chair in a dark room. She blinked and shook her head to clear the foggy mist that was clouding her mind, and keeping her from thinking clearly. She opened her mouth, only to find that she'd been gagged with a strand of sea weed. Telling herself not to panic, she looked around... and came face to face with a Siren. Jerking back in her chair in shocked fright, she watched as not one, but two of the evil creatures began to circle her, smiling maliciously with sadistic, sharp teeth. "_My, the last time we saw you, my Queen, you were just a Princess. It's been a long time... tell us, how are Hairo and Raissa?_" Rasana hissed and flicked her tail in rage, trying to free herself from the bindings and protect her husband and child's honor. "_Oh, that's right, they're dead._" The Queen started to correct them on that, but decided to keep her mouth closed on the matter, glaring balefully at them. _What do they want_?

The Sirens, seeing that they were no longer getting a rise out of her, slowed to a stop before her and smiled, "_We've come to you as a favor to Prince Nevus. You see, he wishes to wed the lovely Princess Panchaia. That, however, won't happen without your consent, and you've yet to turn him away, so there's still time for you to make an announcement involving his betrothal to the Princess._" One of them swam forward and pulled the gag from the Queen's mouth. Immediately, Rasana spat, "My daughter told me that he was rough with her. There's no way I'll force her to get married to him-" She cried out in pain as the second Siren stabbed her in the gut with her claws. "_You will_," she hissed in her ear, twisting her hand roughly inside of the Queen's stomach, "_Or it'll be your precious daughter helplessly impaled on my hand, bleeding her life out for all the sharks to smell and hunt her carcass down..._" Rasana was frozen, unable to move without disturbing the claws lodged in her stomach, soft whimpers of pain escaping her mouth. A pearl trickled down her cheek, closely followed by others. "_Oh, is the Queen crying? Still a whelp of a Princess at heart, aren't you?_" the first Siren hissed, narrowing her soulless black eyes at her, "_Pathetic_. _Now, do we have a deal_?" Weakened and faint from the blood loss, Rasana moaned weakly and blacked out...

*meanwhile*

"She's just up and gone missing?" Trunks asked curiously. Pan was perched on his lap as they sat in the surf, talking about the recent turn of events. "Yes, Aunt- I mean, _Reye_ says that she was abducted." Pan muttered, laying her head on his chest to hear his heart thump in his chest. A soft giggle escaped her as it sped up with her close contact. "I'm not supposed to be here, but I figured that it didn't affect me because I'm, technically, not royal blood and not even a Princess as a result. Brielle and Reye are probably searching for me. I'm not sure I even want to go back." Trunks could immediately tell she was lying, because her gaze returned to the waves coming in slowly, "Panny, you and I both know that you could hardly leave your life behind. It's all you've known and she's the only mother you've had." She slumped slightly, and he kissed her hair, "When your magic comes in fully, I'm going to take you exploring, let you see what the world above the sea is like." She slumped further, "It _has _come in, but I can't become a human until my change is complete, which should be in the next two or three months." He groaned, "It seems complete to me. You're shaped like any fully grown woman I've seen, you have your very own colors, and your magic has come in. what else is there?"

Pan looked up at him with red cheeks, "I believe your sister and Marron refer to it as a '_period_'. Once a moon cycle, the women of my species will purge their unfertilized eggs from their bodies until they reach approximately fifty years, or sixteen years and forty four centuries of age. The only difference between your women and mine is that we have multiple eggs because we're partially fish, and female fish carry their unfertilized eggs until a male fertilizes them. However, since we're also partially human, our eggs lose their freshness and we must purge them before we become sick. Unfresh eggs do horrid things to our immune and reproductive systems. The new eggs start developing immediately following a purge, and, once they reach full growth, our stomachs protrude as though we're gravid. Despite the high number of eggs we produce, only one or two; possibly three or four if you're lucky, eggs get fertilized. Once the egg, or eggs, gets fertilized, the others are purged and our womb is sealed closed until it is time for the child to be born."

Trunks furrowed his brows at the mental picture of Pan, stomach full with empty eggs, "How do they come out?" Pan pulled away from him and pointed to a faint purple line of tiny scales just below where her tail began. The line was parallel to her tail and only four or five inches in length, "This is, more or less, my private area. The eggs come from here, as well as any children I have in the future. Despite having eggs in us like fish, our births are live. The eggs hatch within us at about three moons, and the child spends the next four moons finishing up development. Our gestation period is about seven moons, or _months_ as you call them."

**(A/N: A little biology lesson on mermaids. Imagine dealing with Aunt Flo for forty four centuries. *shudder*. Upon reaching the age of sixteen, mermaids only age once every hundred years.)**

Trunks blushed as his girlfriend pointed out her private area with little care about what he might think. _Mermaids must have fewer reservations_, he concluded, kissing her cheek, "How will I know when your purge starts?" she furrowed her brow, "I'll be irritable and cranky and I won't want to be touched. Then I'll start bloating and, rarely, there will be a mild Heat." His eyes widened, _did she just say Heat_? _Like a sexual Heat? Oh, Dende..._ unbidden, a mental image of her, moaning and begging him for relief filled his mind, and he nearly groaned at the thought of being able to caress all that flushed, soft pink skin and give her the relief she deserved. Oh, he could hear her whimpering his name now... _Trunks_... _Trunks..._

"_TRUNKS!_" He jumped a mile in the air as his sister screamed his name. Pan, now perched on her rock, was watching, giggling with Kassie and Marron. Chase and Goten stood off to the side, chuckling at him. "What were you thinking about so hard, bro?" Goten teased, smirking at him. "Nothing, shut up." Trunks jumped up and walked over to his girlfriend, who was about to give the others a demonstration of her newfound full magic. While she couldn't turn herself human, she was now able to cast any spell she desired.

"So, basically, the Truth Spell reveals your true... well, _everything_, according to the spell book. Who wants to be my test guppy?" everyone took a step back, except for Kassie, who smirked at them, "Scared, you guys?" Chase frowned, "I'm not quite sure you should trust Panny with her new magic yet, Kas." Pan stuck her tongue out at him, and he snickered. "I can cast something as simple as a Truth spell," she said haughtily, "stand in front of me, Kassie." Kassie moved into position and smiled teasingly at the others, "Don't be wimpy, you guys." Bra huffed and rolled her eyes, "I like myself just the way I am." Marron nodded in agreement, "I like my body just as it is."

"I am _not _that _bad_, Marron!" Pan formed a miniature cage with her hands and placed them a few inches away from her bountiful chest, starting a slow chant, "_pnév̱mata ti̱s thálassas , dó̱se mou ti̱ dýnami̱ gia na apokatastatheí i̱ pragmatikí̱ morfí̱ kai diáthesi̱ gia óla káto̱ apó to ángigma ti̱s mageías mou_." Kassie's jaw fell as a glowing blue and green orb began to form in her hands, pulsing and growing brighter as she repeated the strange language over and over. Pan's eyes flashed open, revealing that the blue green had faded to a very familiar lilac-blue color, and she thrust her hands out, releasing the orb from its temporary cage. Kassie cried out as the orb seemed to sink into her chest and energy flooded through her veins. Chase rushed over as soon as the glow faded, and found Kassie still standing, still exactly the same as she was before.

"Nothing's changed. I think that was a dud, Panny." Kassie teased. "That just means you're in your true form, and everything else about you is truthful. That's a good thing." Pan replied, leaning into Trunks chest when he moved closer to her. "Wait... what do you mean by _true form_?" Chase asked curiously. "Like, perhaps, let's say she was originally born a fairy or forest nymph, but someone cast a spell on her and turned her into a human. My spell would've broken the original one and she'd be back to her fairy or nymph form right now." Pan replied, "Clearly, she's all human." Kassie furrowed her brow, "I wonder what would happen if someone cast that spell on you." The Mermaid Princess rolled her eyes, "I'm all mermaid; I just don't know who my real parents are."

*later on that day*

"Where have you been? We thought you'd been taken!" Reye demanded as Pan swam into the palace that evening. "What do you care, I'm not even your blood niece." Pan hissed back, glowering at her. "That doesn't mean anything. Family doesn't have to be blood-"

"But _royalty_ does! This throne isn't _mine_, Reye! _I'm not going to be Princess over this kingdom when it's not my birthright_! _My mother was probably a Siren, or a Selkie, or_-" there was a sharp clap as Reye's hand made harsh contact with Pan's cheek. Her head whipped to the side, sending her long black hair whipping around her face. Struck silent, literally, Pan pushed her hair out of her face and pierced Reye with a harsh glare, "I'm glad I'm not blood related to a heavy-handed _bitch_ like you," and swam out of the room, headed for her study. Reye watched her go, an unreadable expression on her face.

Pan grabbed the spell book she desired and looked up the Truth spell to see if there was anything that she did wrong. _I got the chant right, and the hand positioning... was there anything I missed that might've stopped the spell- oh no..._ There, in tiny print beneath the spell, and instructions to cast it, was a warning. '_Allow one night to pass before seeing results_.' Pan's jaw fell in shock, _how could I have been so careless? What if Kassie's actually not a human? What's going to happen if she wakes up in a new form? _She knew one thing, and that was that she had a very slim chance that nothing would happen to her friend. Dejected, Pan swam to her room to sleep for the night, casting a healing spell on the hand-shaped mark on her face. Tears formed in her eyes at the thought of the woman who'd been like a second mother to her slapping her across the face, and she curled up her bed, trying to boost her morale by thinking of her happy times with her friends and Trunks. her thoughts drifted to her mother, off somewhere, possibly dead, and the tears came back with a vengeance. Iridescent streams of pearls ran down her cheeks as she lapsed into slumber...

*The next morning*

Kassie woke up bright and early that Saturday morning. She'd slept over at Bra's house with Bra and Marron for the night, and had spent the most of it wide awake, watching movies and gossiping about school and cute boys. She only had eyes for Chase, and he was all she talked about, despite the faked retching from Bra. Her legs felt strange, but she put it up to being victim of the '_first to go to sleep_' prank and lifted her sheets to see the damage... And released a gut wrenching screech at the sight of the lovely pale blue tail that had replaced her legs. Bra woke up with a start and lunged over to her to cover her mouth before her parents could be alerted to Kassie's distress. Kassie took a few gasping breaths, trying to calm herself down. She noted, at the back of her mind, that the tail was really lovely. The fins were a whitish-blue, and the ends trailed off into silk-like streamers. The streamers were a darker shade of blue, edged in white, lace-like bits of scales. Her tail was patterned with cerulean rune-like designs that were delicate and feminine, rather than the rough, blocky hieroglyphs she saw in her history books. Her torso was covered by her nightshirt, but she could feel that she had on a top, not unlike the one that Pan wore all the time, underneath it. Her brown hair was longer now, touching the bed and pooling on it.

"Pan's spell worked, Kassie. That means your true form is a mermaid!" Marron squealed. "But I wasn't a mermaid yesterday, after she did it... what's _going_ _on_?" Bra shrugged, "I don't know, but I do know that Pan's at the cove. We should take you down there so she can help."

*later*

Together, with their combined flying skill, Bra and Marron flew Kassie to the cove. Pan was on her rock, making out with one Trunks Briefs. Bra rolled her eyes as they landed, "Love birds, break it up, we have an issue." The duo broke apart, and Pan's jaw dropped, "Oh spirits above... there _was _a spell on you, and that means Mama wasn't lying to me about you." Kassie furrowed her brows, "lying to you about what?" Pan swallowed, "When Ma- I mean, Rasana saw you a few weeks ago; she realized you were the daughter that she thought was dead. You're her Raissa." Silence fell over the group like a thick fog as Kassie absorbed the news.

"When... when do I turn back into a human?" She asked a few moments later. "I think you can, but I'm not sure... you've clearly, already gotten into your adult tail, and your Change is well underway, like mine. Let me just..." Pan formed a ball of white light on her finger and flung it at Kassie. Kassie gasped as she felt the strange, painless sensation of her newfound tail splitting back into legs. It felt as though someone was pulling a zipper down her tail and freeing her legs from a costume of some sort. She felt a mournful twinge in her chest as her tail went away. It felt better than her legs ever did, just _right _somehow. Even though she had the full story, it was still very surreal to her, but she was slowly taking it in.

"I don't know if you'll transform when you get wet, but you might want to find out before you try going about your day." Pan murmured, smiling timidly. Kassie edged over to the water and stuck her foot in hesitantly. With a rush of numbness, the zipper feeling returned in reverse and she fell flat on her face, her tail back in place. "Weeell... it's better than not being able to turn back at all." Pan said nervously.

"What the heck... _Kas_?"

Everyone cringed as Chase came in for a landing on the beach. Kassie blinked at him from her spot on the ground, her tail gently flicking in a mild pantomime of swimming through the sea. "What the heck- Pan, what did you _do to her_?" The shocked Son asked incredulously. "She had a spell on her and the Truth spell reversed it, jeez! She was actually born a mermaid, and she's my mother's long-lost biological daughter." Pan growled back, "don't get mad at me, _I wasn't the one who hexed her._" Chase rolled his eyes and helped his girlfriend sit up, "I guess your dreams meant something after all, hm?" she nodded, "I don't mind being like this, actually, it feels... it's just _right_ to me." Kassie smiled at her tail, it felt so nice to be in the _right form_. Pan laughed, "You're a natural, Kassie." Chase pecked the top of her head, "It's going to be hell keeping you from revealing yourself at school, now." She winced, "I forgot about school..." everyone laughed at the shocked look on her face, enjoying the avoided crisis...

*meanwhile*

"_She is strong, Prince, no matter how much we threaten her, she will not break_." Nevus smirked at the two Sirens, "If you can't break her resolve... then _crush her spirit. _I don't care how you do it, just make sure she's too broken to not follow through with my demand. I _will _have Panchaia on my arm if it's the last thing I do..."

**Yays! So, I got this updated, finally! Let me know what you think.**


	7. Accidents and Realization

**A few more weeks after the last chapter.**

Pan was bored. She drifted through the castle day by day, oblivious to the servants and guards around the castle. Her mother had yet to turn up, and she was getting worried. Even though the woman had lied to her about her birth and just about everything else, she couldn't help but feel worried and scared. Every search party came back with bad news. She still wasn't talking to her 'aunt', still put out because she slapped her. Her Change was very close to its close, and she couldn't be happier. The sooner she became a full-fledged mermaid, the sooner she could go on land and be with Trunks. But, first and foremost, her mother had to come home so she could tell her that she wasn't taking the throne.

A sudden commotion at the front gates caught the attention of the dejected royal, and she looked up as guard swam in, cradling a bundle in their arms. The only tell-tale sign that it was a person was the purple tail flailing around as the guard swam towards the royal bedchamber wing. She followed, determined to find out what was going on.

*later*

"What... _happened_ to her?" Pan whispered, leaning over her unconscious mother almost protectively. "She was found drifting just outside the reef." Ilia, the family physician, said softly, checking her wounds carefully. There was a gouge mark in her lower right abdomen, poorly healed and partially infected. Pan winced at the festering skin around the severe wound. Her mother's body was littered with claw marks, bruises, gashes, and cuts of all sizes, some of her hair had been ripped out at the root, and her tail was missing patches of beautiful violet scales.

"Mama?" Pan whispered shakily, brushing a hand over her mother's cheek. Her half-swollen green eyes fluttered slightly, and she whispered, "_My Panchaia... my sweet little Panchaia... so... beautiful_," before lapsing back into unconsciousness. Pan leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'll take care of you, Mama, don't worry. I'm right here." She waited for the doctor to clean and bandage her wounds before tucking her under her bedcovers and sitting beside her until she was sure she would be able to leave without disturbing her.

*on the surface*

"She's been hurt pretty bad, but with a little rest and medicine, she'll be back to her old self in no time. I just want to know who did this, and why." Pan murmured, looking up at Trunks with her beautiful blue eyes. "That good thing is that she's home, Panny. When are you going to tell her?" She looked down sadly, "Soon as she's out of the danger zone. I'll tell her, and then I'm leaving." Trunks gently lifted her chin with his finger, "Are you sure this is what you want, Panny? You don't have to come on land if you don't want to-" she shook her head, cutting him off, "I love you, Trunks, and I want to be with you. There's no way we can be together if I take the throne, and even if I did take the throne, I'd feel guilty because I'm not of royal blood, and it's not my right. I'd feel better if I didn't have to feed my people lies for the next century or so." Trunks started to say something, but they were interrupted by the arrival of Chase and Kassie.

"What happened?" Pan whispered. Kassie looked upset and afraid, and Chase was strangely emotionless. "Her mom saw her tail, but she left the house before she could see her reaction to it." Chase murmured, rubbing his girlfriend's back. Pan frowned, "Kassie, as much as I know you don't want to, you should go home and see what she has to say about it." Kassie frowned, "The government's probably waiting to drag me off to a lab for testing. I'm not going back." Chase wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, "It's okay, Kas, you don't have to go back if you don't want to." She laid her head on his shoulder and heaved a sigh, relaxing against him.

*At the Son household*

"Chase spends a lot of time at the beach, doesn't he?" Videl enquired softly, sorting through some of her son's old pictures. "Mmmm, he does." Gohan said from behind his book. Videl looked closer at the pictures and felt slight tears pricking at her lids as she examined a particular photo. The picture was of their daughter, one of the very few pictures they had of her. In this picture, Gohan was cradling her lovingly, staring down at her with nothing short of love and adoration in his eyes. Pan's tiny hand was pressed against his jaw.

Gohan looked up when his wife released a strangled whimper, dropping the book and moving to her side, "Vi, what is it?" Weeping quietly, she pressed the small photo into his hand and pressed her face into his throat, letting the tears flow. His sharp eyes roved over the photo, blinking to erase any excess tears. _Panny_... _Panny where are you?_ The demi-saiyan wrapped his arms around his grieving wife and pressed his lips to her hair as he comforted her. It'd been years since their daughter had disappeared, but the wound was still as fresh as it was the day she went missing. Little did they know, she was about to re-enter their lives in an unexpected way...

*that afternoon*

"Mama? Daddy?" Kassie called as she cautiously entered the home. Chase followed just in case the government actually had been called to drag her off for tests.

"Kasaiya, sweetie, can we talk to you?" Kaila Furaru, a short, black haired woman with strangely colored eyes, stood in the archway that led to their living room. She had a gentle, motherly aura that made Kassie just want to spill all of her guts to her whenever she had a bad day at school. Her skin had fairness to it, and she was of an average build. Her silky black hair tumbled down, almost to her knees, in ruler-straight curtains of night, revealing her partial Indian origins. Her eyes, however, were a strange phenomenon. The outer edges were a mixture of dark blue and silver, and they faded into a lovely pinkish purple, almost a pale magenta, and a regular magenta surrounding the pupil. **(A/N: Google image 'shades of hazel' and there should be a chart with different eye colors on the page. The color I used for her mother is called Aurora.) **

"Okay, Mama." Kassie whispered, slipping past her, into the room with Chase. Jaden Furaru sat on the couch. He was the opposite of her mother, with a rich, golden tone to his skin, silky cocoa brown hair and strange eyes. They were ringed with a rich dark green and became a golden brown towards the center, with a darker, reddish brown ringing the pupil. **(A/N: Also on the chart, it's called 'Meadow'. Vaguely similar to Hazel.)**

"Okay, baby," Mrs. Furaru began, taking a seat next to her husband, who wrapped an arm around her small body, "How long have you been a mermaid?" Kassie frowned, "Technically, my whole life. Physically, a few weeks." Kaila's eyes widened, "How- Kasaiya, how do you know all of this?" the young girl took a deep breath, "I was born as a mermaid, under the name Raissa. My birth parents were rulers over a mermaid kingdom beneath the sea. The kingdom was attacked by wizards a little while after I was born, and my father tried to escape with me. The wizards killed him and cast a spell on me so I would appear to be human. I never would've turned back into a mermaid if it weren't for Pan's magic." Kaila raised a brow, "Who's Pan?" Chase spoke up, "She's one of my oldest friends, and she's a mermaid. Kassie's birth mother adopted her after Kassie went missing, because she thought Kassie was dead." Jaden frowned, "Adopted her? And where did they find Pan?" Kaila's eyes widened in realization, "That's name of that baby girl who went missing from the hospital a few years back." Chase frowned, "What baby girl?" _Oh god, I can't tell him that Pan is his twin sister. He obviously doesn't know what happened..._ Kaila smiled timidly, "It's nothing you need to worry about, Chase, honey." He stared at her for a moment, and then returned his attentions to his girlfriend. "So... you guys aren't going to turn me over to some scientist, are you?" Kassie asked softly. "Heavens no!" Kaila said sharply, "Kassie, we love you more than anything, why would we do such a thing to you?" Jaden smiled, "That's not going to happen, baby girl." She smiled, "I love you guys," and crossed the rug to hug both of her adoptive parents. Chase smiled, "I'm going to head on home. Bye, Kas, bye Mr. and Mrs. Furaru." The family waved, and Kassie walked him to the door. "I'll see you at school on Monday, Chase." He grinned again and pecked her on the lips, "Until then, Kas," and discreetly launched into flight, headed for Mount Paozu...

*At the Son home*

"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" Chase called, closing the door behind him as he entered the quiet home. There was no response, so he headed into the living room. As he passed through the room, headed for the stairs, a few pictures scattered on the coffee table garnered his attention. One the pictures was of his father holding a baby. At first he thought it was him, and then he noticed that the blanket and cap were pale, baby pink. That meant it was a girl. He sat down on the couch and began looking through the pictures, shock and curiosity coursing through him. He stopped on a photo of the baby girl he didn't recognize, and a baby boy, swaddled in a blue blanket and wearing a blue cap. _That's me... then who is she-_ . His eyes spotted the name tags at the base of the bed, reading out their names.

'_Chase Son and Pan Son; twins._'

Jaw slack in shock, he grabbed the picture and peered closer, noting the similarities between his twin and his mermaid best friend. Everything was the same, only more pronounced and developed now that she was much older. _This doesn't make sense... but then again, Pan said there were spells to turn mermaids into humans, so why not have a spell to turn humans into mermaids? No wonder why Mrs. Furaru didn't want to tell me, I didn't even know she existed. Why didn't Mom and Dad tell me? I'm more than old enough to handle the news... _Tears of betrayal ran down his numb cheeks as the realization seeped into his mind. _Pan's my twin sister... and someone turned her into a mermaid. Who would do that... and why? I'll worry about that later, right now, I need to talk to my parents and tell Pan..._His fingers ran over the smooth black stone fastened to the magical black strong around his wrist. He hadn't removed since the day Pan charmed it for him, _No wonder I felt strange about her... she's blood related to me._ He stood up, picture in hand, and headed up to his parents' room, determined to get the answers he desired.

*Meanwhile*

Pan entered the palace that evening, headed for her mother's chambers. _I'll go check on Mama, and then I'm going to bed._ A large hot hand wrapped around her forearm, halting her brisk swim. She jerked to a halt and turned to face her assailant, only to cry out in surprise and fear, "_N-Nevus_." The blonde merman smirked at her, "I see you've completed your Change. Far faster than normal, hm?" she felt a wave of revulsion crash over her as his eyes slithered over her fully developed body, "You're even more stunning. The perfect Queen for my kingdom." A shiver rocked her frame as his arms wrapped around her slim waist, pulling her into his muscled chest. "You see, Princess," he shifted his tail against her bottom, "I've completed my Change as well." An urge to puke rose within her as he deliberately pressed his hardened maleness against her backside, subtly rocking his hips against her. "I can't wait to finally feel your sweet flower close around my pole, Panchaia. My hands just aren't getting the job done anymore." Pan took a deep breath and spit out a carefully crafted partial lie, "I've already chosen my mate, and it isn't you." She was shocked to hear him laugh, "Oh, but Princess, didn't you know there was only a limited amount of time for you to freely choose your future mate? About two moon cycles. That time has run out, and it's up to your mother to make the choice now, and she has more than enough reason to pick me." The guards were beginning to look curious, so she forced a playful smile onto her features, "I told her that you were rough with me, Nevus, so you have no chance." Her will to keep the façade up wavered as his lips pressed against her bare shoulder, disgustingly soft. "You'll find that I have the _best _chance out of any of your suitors, lovely Panchaia." The sensation of his hardness vanished as he pulled away, and she sighed with relief, turning to face him, "Stay away from me, Nevus." He smiled almost innocently, "But why would I stray away from my future wife, Panchaia? Until then, lovely Princess." The perverted Prince left through the front gates, and she turned tail, swimming to her mother's room as fast as she could, fighting off tears as she went

_Oh, spirits, I need a thorough bath..._

After visiting with her still-unconscious mother, she headed back to her room, and locked her door and her windows. She wasn't about to risk Nevus breaking into her room to force himself upon her. A bit of the conversation reverberated into her mind. _He said I completed my Change... I'm finally finished? _She looked herself over as she prepared for the longest bath she'd ever taken. She had the curvaceous body that every mermaid had, as well as the incredibly long hair that fell just a few inches beyond the tips of her tail. She wasn't being conceited, but she was irrevocably a very beautiful mermaid, even for her kind. Her face was around the development of an eighteen year old human girl. Her hips were wide and fertile, and her breasts were easily the size of large grapefruits, possibly larger. _But how come I haven't gotten any eggs, yet? _She wondered, looking down at her flat stomach.

**(A/N: Pan won't have any eggs because she's not actually a mermaid. Kassie, on the other hand... well, you'll have to wait and see. Another thing, if Pan denounces her right to the throne, which technically isn't hers to begin with, then she won't have to have an arranged marriage, meaning she's free to go on land with Trunks.)**

After thoroughly scrubbing every inch of her body, Pan put on her favorite night shirt and curled up in her shell bed, mixed emotions swirling chaotically around in her head.

*At the Son household*

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Videl bit her lip to fight off the tears as her son looked at her and Gohan with betrayal in his eyes, "Honey, we were waiting until you were old enough to handle it-"

"Mom, I'm _more _than old enough to handle that fact that I had a twin sister that was taken from the nursery. You never found her, did you?" Chase asked accusingly, his eyes shifting from one parent to the other. His mother burst into tears, and a twinge of guilt struck him. He knew it had to be hard for her, but he never meant to make her cry. "Mom, I'm sorry, I just... I want to know why you guys didn't want to tell me sooner." Gohan smiled apologetically, "We thought you'd be too young to handle it, but I guess we underestimated you, huh, buddy?" Chase smiled softly in return, and Videl wiped her eyes, gesturing for him to come to her. He complied, allowing her to wrap her arms around him and kiss the tears; he hadn't even noticed he was crying, away. He snuggled into her embrace, feeling like the small child he hadn't been for a little under eight years. Gohan ruffled his hair affectionately, smiling softly at his family. Chase was happy; satisfied that they hadn't denied anything, and instead told him what he wanted to know.

_But, _he wondered, _how do I tell them that I know where Pan has been the whole time, but she's not human anymore? _He couldn't conjure up a good answer, and continued to bask in the familial glow. _Tomorrow, _he decided, _tomorrow, I'll show Pan the picture and tell her everything I found out._

**Soooo, we're finally getting somewhere, hmm? Chase has gotten it, for the most part figured out, but the real question is how will Pan react to being lied to again? Remember, Reye told her adoptive mother that she found Pan abandoned at the outskirts of the Kingdom, but we all know that's not true. Next chapter will possibly include Pan's coming on land and denouncing the throne. I'm considering doing a time skip to the beginning of GT, because I've got plans for that. Mind you, Pan's decision to come on land won't end her Nevus issues. He's not done, yet. R&R please!**


	8. All Falls Down

**Without further ado, chapter eight...**

Rasana released a soft, pained moan as she came to, dulled pains wracking her body. She blinked to clear her vision and took a look around. She was in her bedchambers, which was a relief, considering all that she'd been put through. An involuntary shiver ran through her body as she recalled the torture; all the different forms and devices, and she tried to sit up. Her body was too weak and slumped back down to the bed.

"Mama?" she glanced up at the soft, sweet voice she hadn't heard in nearly two months. Her daughter gently floated to her bedside, waves of black silk billowing around her small, pixie like face. Her wide eyes shone a vivid lilac as she peered down at her. "Mama, you shouldn't try to move too much. You're still very weak." Pan laid a gentle hand on her arm. "How long have I been... out?" The Queen asked; her voice raspy with strain. "Just under three days. Mama, what happened to you? Who did this?" Rasana winced as her daughter gestured at her wounded, damaged body. "Panny love," she crooned, using the nickname from Pan's baby days, "I can't tell you-" Her daughter cut in with a harsh snarl, "Mama, if that guard hadn't found you, you'd be _shark fodder_ right now. Whoever abducted you deserves to be punished _severely-_"

Pan halted her rant when her mother weakly grasped her arm. "Love, please... watching you fuss is making _me _tired." Pan giggled, slightly embarrassed as her mother's eyelids drooped. "Mama, I'm going to visit Trunks." A bolt of fear ran down Rasana's spine as she remembered the Siren's final warning.

"_You'd do well to betroth her to Prince Nevus, or she'll be next on our list, my 'Queen'."_

She blinked rapidly to dispel the memory before she could even begin to recall the torturous follow-up to make sure she followed through with what she'd been commanded. "Mama, are you alright?" Pan's voice broke through her frightened haze. "I'm fine. I think I'll get some more rest. You go have fun, baby girl." Pan smiled gently and pecked her cheek, "Sleep well, Mama," and left the room. Rasana watched her go, marveling at the beauty of her new tail. She'd been taken before she could shed her old scales, and she looked lovely. A wave of betrayal washed over her, and she looked down, remorseful. _I'm so sorry, baby; _she thought mournfully, _I'd do anything to keep you safe, even if it means separating you from your soul mate. Please forgive me for this..._

*meanwhile*

Pan's charm bracelet flashed a bright orange, signaling Chase's arrival on the beach. She smiled and swam faster, headed towards the surface. She hadn't had a chance to catch her close friend alone in a long time, and it was time they had a little friendly chat.

She found him sitting on her rock, holding a small stack of glossy pieces of colored paper. He looked at them, slowly flipping through each one. Pan smiled and swam up to the base of the rock, "Hello, good sir." Chase jumped a foot in the air. He hadn't sensed her coming, too engrossed with his roiling thoughts. Pan giggled jubilantly and hopped up on the rock beside him, "what're those?" she pointed at the pictures in his grasp. "These are pictures." She frowned, "I don't think you've ever told me about pictures." He laughed at the confused look on her face. It made her look like a confounded child. Pan harrumphed at his chuckling and punched him in the arm, "_Tell_ me."

"Well, pictures are like moments in life, captured forever on a piece of specially made paper. You use a device called a camera to take the pictures, and then they're imprinted on a roll of film in the camera. Film basically carries the pictures until they're ready to be printed on the special paper. The film is sent off to people who take the photos from the film and put it on the paper and send it back to you, so the moments you captured will always be there for you to look back on."

Pan nodded slowly, completely enraptured with his explanation, "That sounds like it could be very useful. Can I see your captured moments, Chase?" he cringed, "Uh, Pan, I brought these because there's something you need to see." She furrowed her brow, looking like his mother when she got into one of her determined streaks, "What is it, Chase, I'm pretty sure I can handle it. Let me see."

Chase blinked at her for a moment, his hand curling around the picture that would rock the very foundations of her life. _Should I tell her this_, he wondered, _I could very well be ruining her life if I tell her, but I just can't lie to her either. _Resolve in his eyes, he passed her the picture, "I found it at home, and I thought that you should see it."

Pan grinned and took the small photo in her webbed grasp. She flipped it so the glossy side showed and giggled, "Chase, I didn't know you had a twin. Where is she?" their now identical periwinkle eyes met, and Pan's smile began to slide off of her face. Her eyes dropped back down to the cute baby girl's face, taking in the identical, less developed features that created her exact same face. Realization hit her hard, and her lips quivered as she tried to form the words that her mind had concluded were true. Tears began to run down her cheeks, iridescent liquid pearls falling from her chin to dot the picture in her hand. Fresh betrayal swept through her heart, intermixing with what was left over from the last lie she'd been spoon fed like a young, ignorant child.

"Th-that's me," she whispered brokenly, "but how... why... why would they..." she trailed off, a soft sob escaping her throat, "Reye and Brielle... they lied to me, and they lied to Mama... I can't believe... oh, spirits, why? How do they sleep at night, knowing they stole someone else's child away?"

Chase sat there silently; waiting for her to take the shocking news in. it made his heart ache almost unbearably to see her struggle to come to terms with it. He didn't blame her. Being a mermaid was all she'd ever known, and to find out that she was born a human must be excruciating.

"They just wanted my mother to stop moping over Raissa and rule the kingdom... I see it now. They're just manipulative- _ugh_! I just can't believe how scummy and underhanded they are! Going behind my mother's back like this!" Pan began to feel rage in her heart, and she released it readily, yelling out her questions like darts. She wished they were here so she could throttle them. "Chase... I'm so lost." He looked at her, instantly saddened at the abandoned look in her eyes. Gaining confidence, he grabbed another picture. This one featured their parents. They were curled up in the hospital bed, sleeping. Videl was still pregnant, meaning they were still waiting for her labor to start progressing a little further.

"That's our mom and dad, Videl and Gohan Son." Pan's wet eyes flitted across the picture, taking in the resemblance. She couldn't help but smile because the couple looked as though they were very much in love at that moment. "They're beautiful." She breathed, smiling at her newfound brother, "I wish I'd grown up with you. Being an only child is no fun." Chase chuckled, "tell me about it. It would be awesome if you'd come live with us when you come on land. You could meet them officially and everything." Pan frowned, "Chase, even though I'm actually a human, I'll have to be a mermaid for some of the time, and I don't know how they'll take it." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "They'll be fine with it because you didn't exactly _ask _to be kidnapped from the nursery by two mermaids." Pan raised a brow; "They stole me from the nursery?" he nodded, "not too long after we were born. Just a few hours." She growled softly, "That's _so _low, but I guess anything will work for desperate mermaids." She looked into his eyes, "we look _just _alike. You're just more masculine." He nodded, "why didn't we notice this sooner?" Pan laughed lightly, "Maybe we did, and we just didn't want to believe it."

*later*

Trunks arrived at the cove to find Chase and Pan sitting on the rock, talking quietly. He grinned and landed on the soft sand, "Hey, guys, what's up?" Pan turned quickly, "Trunks!" he grinned and scooped her up in a hug, "I missed you, Princess." Chase cleared his throat, "Hey, that's my sister you've been all lovey-dovey with." Trunks's eyes popped wide, "W-what?! Your _sister? _As in _Pan_?" Chase laughed and nodded, "That's Pan, right there." Pan frowned, "My Aunt Reye is a manipulative piece of shark scat that belongs in the deepest abyss of the sea. She lied to my mother and told her that she found me abandoned at the edge of the reef. I didn't know the edge of the reef was a human infant nursery in a hospital, and that finding me is code for stealing an innocent newborn baby from its parents just hours after its birth." Trunks looked skyward, "You were here, right under our noses, the whole time? How'd you become a mermaid?" she shrugged, "the same way Kassie became human. There's a potion or spell for everything, it seems." He ran a hand through her hair, "are you going to tell Gohan and Videl who you are?" she nodded, "Let's do it now."

"Ok- wait... _now_? You were unsure just an hour ago!" Chase jumped off of the rock, his spiky black hair flailing in the sea breeze. "I _know_, so let's do this before I lose my confidence!" Pan whined, clinging to Trunks's chest, "start flying, saiyan boy." The saiyan Prince frowned, "What about your-"

"I DON'T CARE RIGHT NOW, JUST GO!" The two males froze in the wake of her screeching, and then started flying per the mermaid's request.

"_Definitely_ Chichi's granddaughter." Trunks muttered unintelligibly, quickly flying above the clouds to hide Pan's tail from the view of any observers.

*At Mount Paozu*

"I can't do this." Pan whispered, cringing back into her lover's chest. "And there's goes that amazing confidence." Chase said softly, opening the door to allow Trunks and Pan inside. "Panny, you can do this, don't worry-"

"Chase, you're home ear- oh my _Dende_... is that a mermaid?" Pan's head snapped up at the sound of her birth mother's voice, somehow already recognizing it instinctually as an authoritive presence. Videl gasped, her gaze whipping between the near-identical faces of her son and the mermaid Trunks was carrying in his arms. "Mom, I found Pan." Chase murmured, smiling cautiously at her. Videl blinked, "b-but she's a _mermaid_." Pan smiled timidly, "It's nice to meet you, and this," she gestured to her tail, "is a _very _long story." The Satan-Son mother wiped her hands on the apron she wore, "I just finished fixing Gohan's after-work snack, so I've got time." Trunks settled Pan on the couch and she smiled up at him, gently kissing his chin. Videl's eyes widened, "Trunks, what is-"

"In my defense, I had _no idea _that she was your daughter when we started dating... or whatever it is we're doing." Trunks squeaked, raising his hands in surrender. Pan giggled at him, and then turned to her mother, "There's not much we can do, what with me being a mermaid and all. By mermaid standards, I'm almost an adult." Chase snickered at the slack jawed expression on his mother's face, but quickly hushed when her lilac eyes narrowed at him. "So, explain what happened, if you would, Pan." Videl said softly, smiling at the couple before her. They made a very cute couple; that was for sure.

"Well, from what Chase told me, the suspicious nurses that were in the nursery were my mother's sister and advisor. They took me because she lost her own child, who is actually alive and well, she's also Chase's girlfriend. They either gave me a potion or put a spell on me to turn me into a mermaid. This is all I've ever known, being under the sea, but apparently," she smiled sadly, "things didn't start out that way. My '_aunt_' lied to my mother about where she got me, because she'd never take a human child disguised as a mermaid. I'm the illegitimate heir to the throne, but I'm going to denounce it because it's not mine. My mother's the Queen of our mermaid kingdom, Okeanon, and she expects me to take the throne, but I just can't," her thoughts drifted to the horrible encounter with Nevus, "mainly because I'd be forced into an arranged marriage, and I already know who I want to be with for the rest of my life." Videl couldn't help but smile when her long-lost daughter shared a loving glance with Trunks. _They're so cute_, she internally squealed. "How'd they black out the cameras?" she asked softly. "We can do magic. The mermaids who have reached maturity, like me, have the ability to have legs on land." Her mother raised a brow, "why don't you-"

"There's something I need to do before I get around to coming on land." Pan smiled warmly. "It's nice to finally meet my little girl. Dende knows Gohan never stopped searching for you." Pan's eyes widened, _He's been looking for me? Then why didn't he find me, since he can sense ki like Trunks and Chase_? She smiled; she'd only been with her real mother for a little over an hour, and she already felt at home with her, even more than when she was with her adoptive mother.

At that moment, the door opened, and gentle male voice called out, "Videl, Chase, what's up with the weird ki-" at that moment, he rounded the corner and came face to face with the female version of his son. The two stared at each other, frozen in place. Gohan spoke first, his voice shaky with hope, "Pan?" Pan nodded slowly, staring at him in shocked silence. She could see bits of her own face in his. The curve of his lips, the wide innocence of his eyes, and the softly rounded cheeks. She imagined that she had his smile as well.

"You certainly don't look twelve, but then again, neither do any of the other kids." Gohan chuckled sheepishly. Pan cracked a wide smile, "I guess we develop fast." He hadn't rounded the couch yet, meaning he couldn't see how developed she was for a twelve year old girl; _girl _being the operative word. She had the body of a young woman, not a girl. Videl, recognizing her predicament, passed her a blanket, "you look chilly, sweet heart." Pan smiled gratefully and draped the blanket over her body, leaving only the end of her tail exposed.

Gohan was astounded. The owner of the strange, sea creature like ki was his daughter... but _why _did her ki feel that way? His wife stood up to halt his advance around the sofa for a closer look at his newfound daughter, "Gohan, Pan's not exactly a normal girl." The demi-saiyan raised a brow, "How so- oh..." he came around the sofa and spotted her tail, flicking gently on the carpet floor. Pan smiled nervously, "You're not going to ship me off to any labs, are you?" Videl gasped, incredulous, "No way in hell!" Chase chuckled, "Mom, way to put it lightly." Gohan laughed at his wife's usual lack of filter on her thoughts, "We're just happy that you're safe, that's all that matters."

*that night*

The Son family spent the whole day bonding with their newfound family member, getting to know her and getting acclimated to her being a mermaid. Pan and Trunks immediately thought it best to avoid the topic of their relationship entirely. Pan told her story again, explaining that her adoptive mother's sister had blatantly gone behind her sister's back to keep her sister focused on ruling Okeanon and took her from the nursery, turned her into a mer-child, and presented her to Rasana as compensation for the supposed loss of Raissa. Videl was pissed, but incredibly happy to have her child back, even if she had to leave. Pan swore up and down that she'd be back soon.

**(A/N: Just a fun fact, Rasana means 'Queen', and Raissa means 'Princess'.)**

"Do you _really _have to go?" Videl asked softly, running a hand through Pan's wavy hair. Chase cradled her gently in his arms. "I need to do something first. Don't worry, you'll see me soon, and I'll have legs, too." She smiled at her new parents. Even though she only had a day with them, she loved them so much already, and couldn't wait to spend time with them again. Denouncing the throne could no longer wait; she had to do it soon. Not only for her new family, but to escape Nevus...

*In Rasana's chambers*

Pan swam over to her mother's bedside, disturbing her thoughts. "Sweet Princess, how was your day?" Rasana asked pleasantly. "Just fine, Ra-Mom. Look, I need to tell you something very important-" Reye and Brielle swam in at that moment, cutting her short. "Oh, good, you're here, Pan, now we can make the announcement." Pan furrowed her brows, "announcement? _What_ announcement?" an inkling of dread began to form in her heart as her 'aunt' eyed her with contempt.

"Why, your betrothal to Prince Nevus, of course. Didn't your mother tell you that she chose him today? The _entire_ kingdom is here for the ball, and you need to get dressed." Pan's jaw fell, and she turned to her mother with betrayal hot in her eyes.

"I told you," she hissed, "I _told _you he hurt me, and you're going to _marry me off to him? How could you? _I thought you _loved _me, no matter what, but now? I think you just want me out of the way so you can get your precious _Raissa _back." Reye's eyes widened, "Raissa's _alive_?" Pan smirked, "Oh, yes, didn't _Rasana _tell you? Oh, and mom, here's another fun fact. I was born _human_. Your sister and your advisor stole me from a human hospital nursery, turned me into a mermaid, and presented me to you as a consolation prize to keep you focused on ruling the kingdom instead of grieving for your lost daughter, who isn't so lost after all. She was probably too lazy to take over for you, should you have succumbed entirely to your grief." Reye narrowed her piercing gold eyes at Pan, "Shut up, you brat!" Pan glowered back, "I'm leaving. I denounce the throne, and I'm going to the surface to live with my real family," when everyone's eyes widened, she smirked, "I met them today, and they don't care about this," she gestured to her tail, "they just want me where I belong, and it sure as hell isn't _here_. Good riddance." With a graceful flick of her tail, Pan was gone, swimming her fastest back to the surface, the potion and spell to make her human tucked into a little pouch around her waist.

Unbeknownst to Pan, Nevus had heard her entire spiel from outside of the Queen's chambers, and he was enraged that she was leaving the sea. _No matter, _he surmised, _I'll come after her and bring her back. She'll be my Queen, mermaid or not..._

*on the surface*

Pan whispered the incantation, carefully uncapping the bottle with her carefully mixed potion inside. She'd had it ready for a week now, and, finally, she was going to get to use it, "_apó ti̱ mía morfí̱ sti̱n álli̱, megála pnév̱mata ti̱s thálassas, kánoun tis epithymíes mou pragmatikóti̱ta. moúchla ek néou to só̱ma mou_." With the final word of the spell, Pan transferred the magical energies she'd amassed into the potion. The liquid, once a dull dark purple, came to life, bubbling and glowing brightly within the flask. Pan cast a final glance out to the sea, "I won't be rid of my need for you entirely, but this is _more _than enough freedom to me." her gaze became mournful as she remembered her days playing in the beautiful blue waves as a young child. "Antío, ómorfi̱ ble." She whispered her fare well to the briny sea in the language of the sea and tilted her head back to chug the potion, hardly cringing at the sour taste. Once all the brilliant purple liquid had vanished down her throat, pain erupted in her body, coercing in her lower regions. She bit her lip to keep her cries in as her body began to morph into that of a human woman...

**(A/N: Translations: ****antío, ómorfi̱ ble****: goodbye, beautiful blue.)**

*beneath the surface*

"You _stole _a _human child_? Reye, she had parents who loved her! How could you _lie to me like this!?_" Rasana yelled, glowering at her sister. "I wasn't about to take over for you if you did end up feeding yourself to a shark out of grief, so I _had _to do _something_! Pan was supposed to be the heir after you died so I wouldn't have to do it. I could care _less _about this place; I just wanted to make sure I didn't end up ruling because of you missing your stupid husband and your stupid child-"

"You're just jealous because I could actually get married and have a child!" Rasana shot back. "At least _I _wasn't the one who was about to marry my adoptive child off to some abusive creep!" Reye snarled, smirking as her sister recoiled, "Oh yes, sister. I know she's not yours, but that's just _cruel_." Rasana blinked back tears, "I didn't have a choice; you don't understand-"

"I understand that, obviously, you never loved her because she wasn't your precious Raissa." Reye said, looking down at her sister, who was now in tears, "Only a _sadist_ would do that to an innocent child. Didn't have a choice, ha! You got rid of her, and now, you have _no one_. I'm out of here." Reye left the room, Brielle trailing behind her. Rasana crumpled to the floor, sobbing her heart out.

"_Looks like you failed, my 'Queen'_." She sat up quickly as the two Sirens entered the room, "W-what do you want, now? Haven't you done enough?" they smirked, "_We've come for our compensation. Since the Prince didn't follow through on his promise for our reward, and the Princess has gone up to the surface, I guess your life will have to do._" Rasana began to shake as they slowly advanced on her, and then resolve settled in her heart. _I deserve this fate, _she concluded, watching their claws glisten sadistically; _at least I didn't completely ruin Pan's life... _Her thoughts drifted to Raissa, and they became remorseful; she'd never gotten the chance to get to know her long-lost daughter. _Perhaps it's for the best that I don't, _she closed her eyes, _I probably would've ruined her life, too... Panny, I'm so sorry..._ As the Sirens prepared to end her life, she conjured up a mental image of her late husband, Hairo. She imagined him opening his arms to her, guiding her into the gates of heaven where she could _finally _be at unearned peace.

Her body relaxed, and she drifted into his arms, reveling in the touch of his skin on hers... wait, _skin_? She glanced up at her husband, who was holding her tenderly, and looked down. there, far below the sea, she could see of the Sirens hands had been shoved straight through the chest of her physical body. She'd never felt the pain... "You're home, now." Hairo whispered, nuzzling her neck, "I've missed you, my love." She looked up at him, all her pain and worry melting away like snow under the spring sun, "I've missed you too, my love." Their lips came together in a passionate embrace, and Rasana allowed herself to be carried into paradise; finally at peace...

**(A/N: And that is where Rasana's involvement in the story ends. Don't worry, her selfish sister and those Sirens will get their just desserts.)**

*on land*

"She's waking up!"

"Shh, you'll scare her, Chase."

"Does it matter? She's already halfway awake!"

*WHAM*

"_Mom_... why'd you have to use the Frying Pan?"

"Because you were getting ahead of yourself, Chase, now calm down. Gohan, if you start pacing again, I'll use the Pan on you."

"I can't help that I'm worried about her, Videl. She's my _daughter_, for crying out-"

*WHAP*

"Calm down, Gohan."

"_Ow_... yes, love."

Pan giggled slightly at the sounds around her, slowly opening her eyes to the world around her. She was in her parent's house again, and her mother, father, and brother were leaning over her, the two males sporting lumps on the tops of their heads. Her mother smiled, "Welcome home, sweetie." Pan couldn't help but smile in return, "It's good to be home... Mama." Videl beamed at this and hugged her tightly. Pan hugged her back, enjoying the warmth and affection flowing through the embrace. She felt a warm chest against her back and turned slightly. Her father had joined in on the hug, as had her brother. She sighed with contentment. Her old family never had the same warmth as her true family, and she reveled in it.

After a few minutes, she pulled away and looked down at her new legs. She deduced that it was her brother or father's shirt she was wearing to shield her nakedness, but her legs were nice and shapely and fit her figure. She ran her hands up and down the smooth, creamy skin, "Wow... This is amazing." Gohan couldn't help but smile at the innocent wonder that glowed in her eyes. Videl stopped her when she tried to stand up, "Let one of us help you. I don't imagine that you already know how to walk, do you?" Pan blushed slightly, "Umm, no, I guess I don't." Chase smiled, "I'll help you learn, sis," and gently took her small hands in his. Pan noticed that her figure was diminished slightly, and she felt physically younger. _Perhaps it's my body adjusting to human aging._ She looked like an early bloomer, rather than a sixteen year old girl. Her body was still curvaceous, though.

"Come on, just put on in front of the other." Chase coached, tugging her hands gently. With his help, Pan took a few shaky steps and grinned triumphantly, "It's not as hard as it look- whoa!" the moment she released Chase's hands, her knees gave out and she fell to the floor. Her parents chuckled softly, and Gohan helped her up, "it's actually rather challenging, it seems." Pan blushed and leaned against him, "I guess so." Videl kissed her cheek, "We need to get you some clothing. Until then, I guess you could wear some of Chase's old clothes. Another thing, how often do you need to be a mermaid now?" She frowned, "Once a moon. But it'll happen regardless if I get wet." Her mother nodded, "You can handle that, right?" Pan nodded, "I still have my magic, Mama." Gohan kissed the top of her head, "You've had an extremely long day, Panny, why don't we all go to bed, and we'll figure this out in the morning." Pan smiled up at him, nodding, "That would be great; I'm exhausted." Chase scooped her up, "I'll show you to your room," and phased up the stairs with his giggling sister.

"They're so cute. It's almost like they grew up together." Videl murmured, leaning into Gohan's side. "In a way, they kind of did." Gohan leaned down to kiss her forehead, "shall we go to bed?" She nodded, "Let's get some rest, we've got a big day tomorrow." The couple headed the stairs, hand in hand. The small hole in their hearts, left by the kidnapping of their little girl, had finally been filled upon her return into their lives.

**Alright, there's one more chapter with filler before we do a two year time skip to the beginning of GT. Pan gets to meet the infamous Grandpa Goku, at long last! I felt this really strange need to kill Rasana off because Kassie, or Raissa, is already so close to both of her parents that I didn't see a point to allowing them to meet. I'm sorry if this makes people upset, but hey, you don't have to read. Anyway, Pan never really had that much of a close bond with her family, and she didn't have a father-figure or a brother, meaning that I have an excuse to input some major Gohan/Pan cuteness, as well as some Chase/Pan sibling cuteness. Next chapter will include some Videl/Pan bonding and more insight on Kassie's relationship with her foster mother, Kaila. In other words; Mommy/Daughter shopping trip! R&R please!**


	9. Becoming a Son

**Chapter nine! *squeal* this is the morning after Pan came home.**

"It's strange, isn't it?"

"Hm?" Gohan finished tying his tie and turned to his wife. "Having our daughter back where she belongs." He grinned, "of course, we've only had to raise Chase." Videl quickly fixed his tie and put a dimple at the top, "its much more challenging to raise a girl, as you'll soon find out. Perhaps you should ask Dad for some advice." Gohan chuckled, "Perhaps I should; I mean, look at how you turned out." His wife giggled and kissed the underside of his jaw. Their moment was interrupted by a shrill cry from down the hall, in Pan's new room. Gohan quickly pushed Videl behind him and made his way down the hall, focusing his senses to find out what the threat was. Pan's ki was sparking with fear and slight pain. He pushed the door open and turned on the light. Pan was sitting on the edge of her new bed, crying and holding her stomach. "Panny, what is it?" He whispered, coming to her side. That was when he noticed the dark red blood smeared on her thighs and the large stain on the bed sheets.

"Umm... Videl, Pan needs you!" Pan whimpered in pain, from cramps, he assumed, and curled in on herself. Videl came in and stopped at his side, "What is it?" Gohan blushed furiously, "she got her period, love." Videl smiled and nudged him, "you can go now." he gladly left the room, allowing his wife to deal with their poor, confused little girl.

"Calm down, Panny, this is perfectly normal for a girl your age." Videl murmured soothingly, wiping Pan's legs with a towel. "Bleeding from _there_... is _normal_?" Pan gasped, looking horrified. "Yes, it's all a part of growing up. Basically, it means you can have children, now." Pan's eyes widened, "_This_ is what Bra and Marron meant? Then why is it so _painful_?" she grunted in pain and grabbed her stomach, "it feels like my reproductive system is trying to kill me..." Videl smiled gently and cupped her cheek, "I had really bad cramps when I was younger. You must be taking after me." The young mermaid furrowed her brows, "What are cramps?" Her mother pursed her lips in thought, "When your muscles contract on their own, without you telling them to." Pan pouted, "How do I make them stop?" Videl stood up, "Hold on," and left the room, returning a few second later with a bottle of Midol and some _Always_ pads. "Now, let me show you how to use these. It won't be too hard..."

*at breakfast*

Chase carried Pan to the table, dressed in a clean pair of Chase's old sweats and a blue shirt that hung off of her small torso. She WAS incredibly smaller than he was, after all. Gohan smiled as she took a seat at the table, "how are you feeling?" she pouted, "the Midol that Mama gave me isn't working fast enough." he flinched as she groaned softly and laid her forehead on the table. Videl laid a platter of pancakes in front of her, "eat up, sweet pea, it'll help the medicine work faster." Pan nodded and began snarfing down the warm, fluffy pancakes. Gohan and Chase laughed as her eyes shot wide at the sweet, addictive flavor. She ate faster, at a pace worthy of her Saiyan heritage. "If I didn't already know that she was our daughter, her eating speed would be a dead giveaway." Videl teased, gently nudging Pan's blushing cheek with her knuckle.

"Does something specific happen if you don't turn into a mermaid each month- er moon?" Chase asked curiously. "My legs will develop an intensely irritating rash and my face will turn blue... at least that's what I've heard. The rash is believable, but the blue face? Not so much." Pan harrumphed, "the legends aren't all very believable." Chase chuckled, picturing Pan with a bright blue pigment to her face, and then outright guffawed. Pan, sensing the gist of his thoughts, hit him in the arm, "shut up, Chase!" he laughed harder and jumped to his feet, knowing she couldn't chase him without falling. She deflated, "that's not fair, Chase." He sighed and scooped her up in a gentle hug, not wanting to upset her cramping uterus, "I'm sorry, Panny." she kissed his cheek affectionately, "its okay," she stopped for a moment, smirked, and looked up at him deviously, "now teach me how to walk as repayment." Videl laughed, "that's my clever girl, now work him hard." Gohan rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket and brief case, "I'm off to my job. Bye, family." he gave his wife and daughter each a hug and a kiss, and hugged Chase before leaving the house. "What's a job, exactly?" Pan asked curiously. "Well, humans have occupations; things they do in the city to make money to support themselves and their families. Speaking of which, we need to get your grandmother to home school you so you can get caught up with your brother." Pan frowned, "but I'm already done with school." Chase hissed, "lucky." His mother nudged him, "hush," then she looked at Pan, "human school." she furrowed her nose at that, "_more_ school?" Videl smirked, "get used to it, love, because you won't be officially done with school until you turn eighteen."

Pan's gentle face creased with a pout, and her mother squeezed her hand, "would you like to meet your grandmother? She lives right next door." The young mermaid took Chase's hand and slowly followed his lead outside and across the dewy lawn. She was surprised to see another cozy home nestled just a few yards away from her parent's house. "You're catching on to the walking thing, hm?" Chase asked softly, "You're hardly stumbling, now." Pan looked down at her feet and smiled, noting that her legs weren't shaking or threatening to collapse.

The front door to the other house swung open, and Goten came out, "Guess who snuck by to visit?" Chase's smile was a mile wide, "Grandpa's _here_? Why didn't we sense him?" Goten shrugged, "I guess he wanted it to be a surprise. Well he's in there; eating us out of house and home. Mom's so- _Pan_?!" Goten finally noticed his not-so mermaid friend standing between his sister in-law and nephew, smiling at him. "Hi, Uncle Goten!" she squealed, inwardly giggling as his jaw went slack. "It's a long story, Uncle, but she's my twin." Chase wrapped an arm around his shorter, near identical sibling, who blushed and stumbled slightly.

"Goten, dear, who's at the door?" Pan looked up at the sweet, motherly voice. A lovely older woman stood just beyond Goten's elbow, staring at her curiously. She was dressed in a light pink shirt with a dark purple kimono over it, tied at her waist with a red sash. Under the kimono were matching pink pants and red boots. Her hair was pinned atop her head in a slightly messy bun, obviously mussed from working in the kitchen non-stop.

"Hi, Chichi," Videl eased past Goten, and into the house, leading Pan in gently, "I want you to meet someone you should've met twelve years ago." Chichi's eyes widened, "Videl is she who I think she is?" Videl nodded, smiling, "This is Pan, your granddaughter." Pan smiled shyly as her grandmother's eyes began to sparkle with tears, "Nice to meet you, Grandma." Chichi rushed forward and enveloped the shocked girl in a hug. Pan smiled; her grandmother smelt like cinnamon, sweet treats, and home. She quickly found that she liked the scent and quickly became addicted to it. "Oh, Videl, she's absolutely beautiful. Look at of all this _hair_!" Chichi ran a hand through Pan's hair. The thick mane hung down to her knees in naturally blue-black waves.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Pan looked up at this new, friendly voice. A tall man stood in the doorway to the kitchen, dressed in a light blue gi with yellow pants and martial arts shoes. His hair was in a spiky disarray that, surprisingly, didn't look out of place on him, and he had the hugest grin on his face.

"Grampa!" Chase ran over to him and gave him a hug, laughing cheerfully. Pan watched curiously, wanting to meet her newfound Grampa. "Hey, buddy, you've gotten so strong since I last saw you." Goku chuckled, rustling his hair playfully. His eyes then found the newcomer in the room, and he smiled some more, "Hey, you look a lot like Videl." Pan blushed and looked at her mother for help. Chichi spoke up, "That's because she's her daughter. Goku, we've got our little Pan back." Goku's eyes widened, "_That's_ little Panny?" Pan nodded; "nice to meet you."

She was pleasantly surprised to be scooped up in a gigantic bear hug. Her Grampa Goku smelt like a grassy meadow in springtime, a slight hint of a natural, masculine scent, and, of course, food. Pan relaxed into his embrace, smiling happily.

*later*

"Where did you find her, Videl?" Chichi asked curiously. "Well, to explain that, we have to start with the day she went missing. Pan?" Pan frowned, "I hate telling this story, but I have to do this, right? Okay, so I was stolen from the nursery by these two women who used magic to block out the cameras that would give them away. They whisked me off to the beach and made me drink this nasty stuff that turned me into a mermaid. They were mermaids, too, of course, and I still am. Mermaids can become humans when they reach maturity. Anyways, they gave me to the reigning Queen of the mermaid kingdom under the guise that they found me abandoned at the edge of the reef. The Queen took me because her own child had been 'killed' a few moons prior. I lived as a Princess for the first decade of my life, but I met Chase, Bra, Marron, Trunks, and Goten when I was four, and Chase and I bonded immediately. I guess it was the fact that we're twins." Chase grinned at her, "I guessed that, too." Pan giggled lightly, "Well, one day my mother caught me hanging out with them, and she screamed at me about it. That was when she noticed Kassie," she winked at her twin, "and realized that her daughter actually wasn't dead, but a human, kind of like my situation. She told me about my being adopted, but her sister, one of the women that took me, hadn't told her that I was actually a human, so I got lied to, even though she didn't mean to lie. I was angry and started spending less time at home, and more time with my friends. I was eleven at the time, and Princes from other kingdoms were coming around to attempt to court me once I reached maturity-"

"Wait. You had suitors at _eleven_?" Videl asked, shocked, "You didn't tell us about this last night." Pan smiled guiltily, "I didn't think it was important at the time I'm sorry, Mama. Alright, so there was this one Prince," she shuddered slightly, "his name was Nevus. He took me out for a tour of the reef and asked me to pick him after I reached maturity, but there was... _someone else_, so I told him I couldn't. He wasn't too happy, and he got rough with me. I told my mother, and she told me he wouldn't be a bother for much longer. A while after that, she was abducted from her study. She reappeared nearly two months later, and she was badly wounded. Nevus was still around, despite her promise, and he..." Pan trailed off, the memory of his blatant molestation fresh in her mind. Chase looked over at her curiously, "Panny, what is it?"

Pan shook her head and wriggled in her seat to dislodge the memory, "N-nothing, I'm fine. Alright, so yesterday, when I came on land to meet Mama and Papa, my mother secretly arranged an Engagement Ball for me and Nevus. She stabbed me in the back..." Pan took a deep breath and treaded on, "I told her what Chase told me, in a not so nice way, and I grabbed the potion I made, headed to the surface, and drank it. I think I blacked out from the pain, because I woke up at home." She looked up at her grandparents and uncle, looking at their reactions.

"Panny, mermaids... mermaids _exist_?" Chichi asked, incredulously. "Mama, could you get me a glass of water?" Pan asked, "I think they need physical evidence." Videl smiled and headed into the kitchen. There was the sound of the tap running, and then Videl returned with a glass full of water. She held it out to Pan, who dipped her index finger into the cool liquid. At first, nothing seemed to be happening, and then her legs began to glow a slight blue color. The particles creating her legs seemed to separate from themselves, millions of tiny white molecules floating amidst a blue field of light, and then, with a brighter flash of blue, the particles came together and formed her tail. Pan looked up from the enthralling experience when she heard a thud.

"Grandma?" Goku smiled at his young granddaughter, hardly batting a lash at her tail, "Chichi faints sometimes." He carefully laid his wife on the couch, "I think it's cool." Videl laughed, "Typical Goku," and kissed Pan's cheek. Pan smiled happily, "You really don't care?" Everyone smiled at her, "Of course not, and then laughed as heated red flooded her cheeks.

*a few weeks later*

"I think she's walking well enough, love." Videl murmured as she laid a plate of food in front of her husband. "I don't know, Videl. What if she gets freaked out by all the humans around? She's only ever been around us, the Briefs, and the Chestnuts. What if she pops her tail in public?" The worried demi began to babble; he was so worried about losing his newfound daughter that he couldn't help but go through worst case scenarios... much like his mother would. "Gohan, please," Videl cupped his cheeks gently, "Pan will be _fine_. I will be there, Bulma, Bra, Marron, Juuhachi, Kaila, and Kassie will be there. We'll be keeping her and Kassie from accidentally revealing themselves. You don't have to worry. If we get into a trouble spot, I'll spike my ki. Is that better for you?" Gohan nodded rapidly, satisfied with this set up. His wife laughed and kissed his forehead, "Silly, paranoid man. I love you." Gohan blushed and smiled at her, "I love you, too."

"Mama, I'm ready." The couple's moment was dissolved when Pan entered. She was wearing a pair of her mother's old black shorts, with a blue shirt and an old pair of her mother's boots. Her hair was still visibly long, even up in a high ponytail the very end brushed against the backs of her thighs.

"Alright, sweet pea, let's get going. The sooner we can get to the mall, the sooner we can come back home." Videl smiled at how much Pan resembled her in her younger days in that moment. Pan walked over to her father and kissed his cheek, "I'll see you when I get home, Papa." Gohan hugged her and kissed her temple, "Have fun, Angel." She nodded and followed her mother out to the car...

*At the mall*

Pan was in awe at the bright lights and multiple stores all around her. Bra and Marron watched, giggling softly. Kassie grabbed her hand, "There's so much you need to see on the surface, Pan. You'll love it!" Pan smiled at her, "What are we waiting for? Let's get started!"

*several hours into shopping*

"I. Hate. _Shopping_." Pan grumbled as she sat on a bench, waiting for Bra and Marron to come out of a store called Bath and Body Works. They sold wonderfully scented body creams and sprays, and the two girls couldn't decide which scents they liked the most. Bra was stuck between _Carried Away _and _Secret Wonderland_, and Marron couldn't decide on _Be Enchanted _or _Paris Amour_. Bra had already selected her first two scents; Bulma had limited her to three, and they were _Black Raspberry Vanilla _and _Pink Chiffon_. Marron's first two selections were _Sparkling Blackberry Woods_ and _Malibu Heat_.

"_Mom_... can I _please _have both? They smell _amazing_." Bra whined, holding out the two lotion bottles, her best puppy dog eyes on full display. Bulma rolled her eyes, "Fine, just this once." Bra squealed and hugged her mother before running to the counter, where her other two purchases sat. Bulma rolled her eyes once more and pulled out the special credit card she had reserved _just _for her shopaholic daughter.

"Alright, Pan, we can go now." Videl murmured, patting her daughter's shoulder, "We haven't gotten a chance to get _your _things." Pan smiled and followed her mother. Kaila and Kassie decided to follow them, deeming them much better company than the two shopaholic duos.

Upon entering JC Penny's, Pan immediately set her sight upon jeans, capris, shorts, and t-shirts. Her mother persuaded her to get a few skirts, blouses, dresses, and coats, but she mainly picked out the casual clothing, save for a dress or two that she thought Trunks would like to see her in. she had incredibly tiny feet, it turned out, and was a challenge to find women sized shoes for her. Kassie found a few pairs of tennis shoes and flats for her, and four pairs of heels that she cringed at.

"Pan, honey, try these on." Videl laid another set of blue jeans on top of the changing stall. "Okay." Pan took the jeans and shimmied into them, liking the way they molded to her hips, which were a lot more diminished now that she was fully acclimated to having a human aging body. She could tell that her body would curve out once she got a little bit older, though.

"They fit, Mama." She reported, modeling in front of the mirror, and then came out of the stall to model the jeans in front of her mother. Videl watched, slack jawed; _Poor Gohan's going to have to beat the boys off with a stick when she goes to public school... Maybe even his fists..._ The only other preteen that she'd seen with advanced development was Bra. However, Pan had a mild, barely noticeable sort of lilt to her body; despite the slowing of her aging, Pan was still further along in puberty.

"Alright, we've got stuff for your room, shoes of every kind, pants, shirts, skirts, bags, blouses, dresses, sweaters, cardigans, jackets, coats, pajamas, swimsuits, underwear, bras, socks, jewelry, and around the house clothes. Anything else, Panny?" Pan furrowed her brow, looking around the store for anything else that she might need. She cringed away from the makeup, balked at the lingerie; though she _did_ want a robe and some house shoes, and focused on a bit of bright color on a display table not too far from them. A small case, about the size of a box for a small flat screen, full to the brim with bandanas. The case came as a set, but Pan only had eyes for the one on top; a wonderful, bright orange one that would look lovely in her hair.

"Mama, I want those bandanas." Pan said happily, pointing at the case. She was now examining it, pairing a few outfits together with different bandana colors. Videl grabbed the case, "come on, let's pay for this and get out of here. It looks like rain outside." Pan quickly headed into the lingerie section and picked out a peach terry cloth robe and matching house shoes that looked like furry boots. Videl rolled her eyes and gestured for her to come on, smiling at her daughter's enthusiasm.

The mother-daughter duo met up with Kaila and Kassie, who followed them outside to the car before the rain could fall, but not without capsulating Pan's haul.

"You hate shopping when it's not for you, huh?" Kassie asked teasingly. Pan shrugged, "I guess so," smiling cheerily. "Alright, girls, since you can't be out in the rain, we're going to head back to Mount Paozu and get Pan's room ready for her. The bed I ordered should be arriving soon, so we don't want to miss that." Videl climbed into the driver's seat and started the car for home.

*Mount Paozu*

By the time the Furaru and Son women reached the house, the rain was falling in torrents. Videl spiked her ki when they pulled up, calling her husband's assistance. The door swung open, and Gohan and Chase made their way out to the car in the pouring rain. Chase came around and opened Kassie's door, carefully lifting his beautiful girlfriend out. There was a flash, and then her tail formed, hanging heavily over his arm as he made his way back to the house. Gohan followed behind him, carrying Pan.

"This '_turning into a mermaid every time I touch water_' thing is getting old _really_ fast." Kassie muttered as Chase carefully placed her on a pile of towels. "Hey, you can't help what genetics you were born with... or what spells people cast on you." Pan teased as her father laid her on the floor beside Kassie. Kassie suddenly grunted softly and grabbed her stomach. "Kas?" Chase knelt down beside her and touched her hand. She pushed him away, "It's nothing. Just my stupid mermaid period/cycle thing." He frowned, "You actually grow eggs in..." he trailed off, unable to finish as she nodded, nearly growling with irritation, "What? Technically, it's normal for me to bloat until I look five months pregnant and _then_ expel the bad eggs. You know, because my parents weren't human." Chase looked to his sister, "What's wrong with her?" Pan shrugged, "I'd say mood swings. _Bad_ ones. I suggest you run," giggling lightly. Chase rolled his eyes, "I'll let you relax, Kas." She smiled gratefully up at him, "thank you, Chase."

*setting up Pan's room*

Pan's new bed was a queen sized canopy with mahogany posters supporting a peach cloth top with peach and white lace curtains falling around her bed. There were also more solid curtains in varying shades of peach for her to pull around her bed when she went to sleep at night. Pan crawled into the bed, "I _love_ it," and laid spread eagle on top of her sheets. Videl laughed and sat on the edge of the bed, watching the others putting away Pan's new things in her new furniture.

The doorbell rang downstairs, and Pan rolled off of the bed and headed downstairs to go answer the door. She smiled and swung the door open, "Who is it- Trunks!" she squealed and went to hug him, but froze when she noticed a small, wriggling mass of white fluff in his arms. The thing seemed to look at her, and then made a strange yipping noise. Pan frowned; she'd never heard any creature under the sea make a noise like _that_, "Trunks, what is that _thing_?" He chuckled and came into the house, "It's a puppy, Panny," and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. She scrunched up her nose as the puppy lapped at her face with its small, pink tongue, smiling slightly. "It's cute." He chuckled, "I can tell that you like it. I got it for you." Her eyes filled with joy, "_Really_?" Trunks laughed and nodded, "I already cleared it with your parents, so she's all yours." Pan held out her arms, and Trunks carefully placed the white puff in her arms. It immediately settled in her arms, twisting and wiggling around to lick her face. She giggled and twisted her head, trying to dodge the thorough little tongue.

"What are you going to name her?" Trunks asked softly, uncapsulating the puppy's bed and other necessities. "I don't know... how big will she get?" Pan began to muse. "Not much bigger than she is now." Trunks replied. "Then I'll name her Lígi̱. Lígi̱ means little or small." Pan murmured, nuzzling her new puppy. She found that Lígi was very small and just had a massive amount of fur. "What species of puppy is she?" Trunks smiled, "a coton de tulear." Pan put her puppy down and laughed as she began running circles around her feet, yipping excitedly.

"Oh, Trunks, she's adorable." Videl and Gohan exited the stairs, and Lígi ran over to them and circled their feet a few times, looking like a fluffy white cloud. Videl laughed and knelt down to play with the hyper puppy, "How old is she?" Trunks examined Lígi's certificate, "she's seven weeks old." Pan grinned happily, "I named her Lígi." Lígi perked up at the sound her name and ran back over to Pan, who scooped her up and nuzzled her head.

*a few weeks later*

"Papa?" Gohan looked up as Pan leaned into the doorway of his office, looking nervous, "Yes, Panny?" she shuffled over to his desk, made her way around, and sat on his lap, smiling innocently at him. He faintly recalled Videl giving him a similar smile... when she _wanted something_. "Papa, would you train me?" she asked; so softly he wasn't sure he heard her correctly. Pan looked down, blushing madly, "I just saw you and Chase outside a few days ago, and I'd like to learn a few things, too." Gohan chuckled and kissed her forehead, "How about we start your training this weekend?" She looked up at him, beaming, "_Really_?" Her father laughed at the childish joy in her eyes, "Yes, but we need to get you some training clothes, first." To his surprise, she began to bounce on his knee, her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," and kissed his cheek before sprinting out of the room, yelling for her mother. Gohan watched her go, smiling joyously. _Videl was right, _he realized, _raising girls might be a little bit more challenging then raising boys..._

**Alright, next chapter will begin with the first episode of GT, but I'm going to mix things up a bit when it comes to the people going on the Grand Tour. It'll be more than three, just a little spoiler. Next update will come in about two weeks, during my Winter break so I'll have enough free time to update this and KTS. R&R please!**


	10. Grampa's a kid!

**Alright, bear with me here, because I'm not very good with my GT facts or episodes for that matter, because I'm a DBZ kid, lol. I'm going to skip over most of the first episode because we're following Pan here, not Goku, so we'll start off with the bank robbery. Pan and Chase are 14, Kassie's soon to be 15, and Bra and Marron are 15. Feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong, and enjoy the chapter!**

"Panny, for the _last _time; we can't go to _Slurpee's _today." Chase told his twin firmly, wrapping an arm around her slim waist. His other arm was wrapped around Kassie's waist as the trio made their way to the movies after a long day at school.

Pan was well-acquainted with life as a human; mostly human, that is, and her favorite restaurant quickly became _Slurpee's_, second only to her mother and grandmother's cooking. She attended public school with her brother, Kassie, Marron, and Bra and blended quite easily with the other children. Well, by easily, her figure drew attention, much like Bra's, from both sexes. The girls were envious of her supposed early blooming, and the guys wanted to date her. The guys, however, ran into trouble with their ambitions in the form of one Son Chase. Chase wasn't afraid to let the boys know, violently, that his twin sister wasn't available. There was only _one _guy he'd let her go out with, and they were still going strong and _still_ keeping their relationship secret from the adults; save for Videl, Chichi, and Bulma.

"Why _not_?" Pan whined, sending him a cold look. "We had it yesterday and the day before that... and the day before that. Pan, we're _tired_ of eating burgers, fries, and slushies after school every day." Kassie told her friend, exasperated. "I'm not." The mermaid muttered to herself, pouting slightly.

The quarter saiyan-mermaid-human hybrid was dressed in light wash capris, a dark blue tank top over an orange t-shirt, and black converse with orange socks. There was an orange bandana in her silky hair; which she'd cut in the previous year. The once knee-length tresses now only fell to her elbows and often were in a braid, plait, or pony tail. She rarely wore them down, and when she did, it was usually because she was swimming. Pan had easy private access to water because her family had a medium sized lake in their backyard, and spent plenty of time back there, satisfying her mermaid desires... when she wasn't sating her saiyan need to train. Her worn gray fingerless gloves were a testament to her devotion to her training.

Pan loved sparring with her father, Uncle, Trunks, and Chase, and even her mother from time to time. Chichi sometimes gave her pointers or showed her a few of her own old moves, adding on to Pan's unique arsenal of martial arts styles. Hers was a unique blend of her father; and Piccolo, by default, her Uncle; and her grandmother, because she started Goten off, Trunks; and Vegeta, and some of her two favorite women in her life; her mother and grandmother. Her grandfather even had a place in there; as sometimes when he visited he taught her a thing or two. Her ability to manipulate ki wasn't nearly as good as her father's or her brother's, and she _still_ hadn't quite gotten the hang of flying fast or forming a good ki blast, but with more practice, she'd be flying around like the best of them. Her Grampa Goku was currently teaching her brother the Instant Transmission, and would begin teaching her once she got stronger.

"Hey, a bank robbery!" Chase announced, bringing Pan out of her mini-funk. Police had barricaded the bank and were crouched behind their cars, guns aimed at the robbers, who held a hostage, and a very strong rocket launcher. "Maybe we should do something about it." Pan suggested, smirking slightly. She might not be good at flying or ki blasts, but she had the _real_ technique and her zanzoken down pat.

**(A/N: I'm not a hundred percent, but I'm pretty certain zanzoken is that thing they do when they phase out. Gohan did it a lot when he 'fought' the mini-Cells.)**

"Are you _sure_? Chase asked softly, looking at his sister. "I'll handle the ground work, Chase, jeeze." Pan huffed at him, advancing towards the barricade, "What are we waiting for? Let's kick some butt." He chuckled and nudged his girlfriend, "Stay here and wait for us, we'll be done in a sec." Kassie laughed and shoved him along, "Do what you do best, hun." He smirked teasingly at her, "I thought that was kissing you." She blushed deep red, and Chase chuckled before running to catch up with his eager twin. Pan had already dispatched of the rocket launcher and was working on the henchmen. He moved to assist her when, suddenly, a small child that looked vaguely familiar joined the fray. Pan moved the child aside, declaring it unsafe for him. Chase took the time to truly examine the child; _do mom and dad have another secret child?_ The boy had the same spiky, unruly hair as his grandfather, and was even wearing a miniature version of the gi his grandpa always wore. Did his _grandpa_ have _another child_? His mind drifted to his grandmother's reaction and he cringed. There was _no way _his grandfather would be stupid enough to incur such wrath.

"Hey, why didn't you join in, bro?" He looked up as his twin approached, hands on her hips. Several males glanced towards her appreciatively and he bit back a protective growl and tamed the involuntary urge to take her and hide her away from lecherous eyes. It was strangely similar to the reaction he had when his friends told him he had a hot mom... only _worse_. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to realize what his father went through when he took the family out for dinner and a young waiter just '_happened_' to slip and catch their balance... by placing their hand on Pan's _behind_. Or the one time when an older waiter got bold enough to '_accidentally_' grope his mother's ample chest after refilling her drink. It didn't help that he also tipped her cup of water into her lap in his haste to cop a feel. He'd _never _seen his dad so enraged in his life. All in all, they were lucky it wasn't Pan who got a drink spilt on her, or they'd be on the run from the government by now...

"Um... Chase, look, it's Roshi!" He snapped to alert. He could _never _let his guard down when Master Roshi was afoot. The old man meant well, but he couldn't just come on to his girlfriend or sister like they were just any young girl on the streets. _Not while I'm still breathing_, he added silently, watching the young child approach Roshi, who was practically swinging off of the light poles trying to leer at the numerous young girls walking around. The child said something to Roshi, and Chase was surprised to see his eyes pop wide as he yelled out in shock, "_GOKU_!"

"Did he just say..." Pan trailed off as she approached with Kassie. "Let's check it out." Chase suggested, leading both of the girls over to the duo. "Grampa, is that you?" Pan asked curiously as they closed distance. "Panny, Chase! Hey guys, how're you doing?" The child asked cheerfully. Pan's jaw went slack; _what magic is this? _"Gramps, what... what _happened_ to you?" Goku smiled sheepishly as a loud gurgle filled the air, "I'll explain... but can we get something to eat, first? I'm _starving_." Pan rolled her eyes amusedly as her Grampa whined and clutched his grumbling gut, and then grinned, "_Slurpee's _isn't too far from-"

"_NO SLURPEE'S!_" Kassie and Chase yelped, interrupting her brilliant thought. She deflated, pouting sadly, "I guess we're going home, huh?" Her twin nodded, "We need to tell everyone else in the family about this."

*At Mt. Paozu*

The foursome landed on the front lawn of the second Son home and let themselves inside.

"Mama, Papa, we're home!" Pan called as she opened the door, allowing herself and the others inside. "Alright, love, I've got lunch on the table, and it's your favorite!" Videl replied, peeking in from the kitchen. Pan beamed and rushed into the kitchen, completely forgetting the strange news she'd heard. Goku followed her, salivating at the thought of food. Videl smiled as her daughter stopped briefly to peck her cheek and Gohan's, and then seated herself in front of a steaming plate of seven pancakes, drowned in sweet maple syrup... and then _gawked_ as a miniature Goku seated himself at the table, a napkin tucked into his gi top. "Holy Dende..." Gohan put down his mug of tea and watched this mini with wide eyes. "Mom, Dad, he said he'd explain if we fed him." Chase announced, coming into the kitchen as Pan began scarfing down her hot cakes with vigor. Videl sighed softly and removed a large hoagie from the fridge and placed it in front of her small father in-law, quickly to keep her fingers intact. The poor sandwich never stood a chance.

*Later*

Pan sat on the sofa in some lounging clothes, fiddling with the bracelet Trunks had given her for her fourteenth birthday, wincing as her Grandma wept fitfully in her mother's arms. The bracelet in question was a couple hundred strands of black string, braided through diamond beads that spelled her name and had a heart at each end. Her grandfather had just finished explaining his predicament, which included Uub; Marron's crush, some guy named Pilaf and his crew, and some rather strange dragon balls.

"I'm already aging faster than he was, but this," Chichi whispered, anguished, "it's _unnatural_. You probably did this on purpose!" Goku shook his head and stood from his chair, "No, Chichi, it's not like that at all. I liked being old, really I did." Gohan cut in, "Dad, you said that the dragon balls are spread all across the galaxy?" _Looks like I'm going back in space again... I'm too old for this..._ Goku nodded his ascent, "That's what Mister Popo said." Chichi released another sob, and Pan shifted on the sofa, "Grandma, he didn't mean for this to happen. You can't blame Grampa for something he didn't cause," and spoke to her grandmother in a soothing, respectful tone. Videl eyed her daughter gratefully as her mother in-law calmed down... until her husband _had _to open his big, nerdy mouth _again_, "Dad, I think it would be easier on your body if you just grew up again." Chichi flew into hysterics at this, and Pan winced as her mother desperately tried to soothe her again.

At that moment, a strange, gravelly voice cut in, startling Kassie into spilling her glass of juice down her front. Chase phased to catch her before she could flop unceremoniously to the floor, her legs quickly merging into her tail. Videl and Chichi went to help her dry off, listening to the voice; King Kai, as it began to speak.

"_If you don't gather all of the Black Star Dragon Balls before the years is out, then the Earth will be destroyed._" Pan felt her stomach drop at the blunt announcement and locked gazes with her father, who smiled reassuringly at her. He knew she wasn't as acclimated to these situations as the rest of her family, but this? A year to collect seven orbs scattered throughout the galaxy seemed _tame_ compared to what they'd dealt with in the past. A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the days of Frieza, Cell, Babidi, and Majin Buu. _Just when I thought I could get out of going into space again..._ Pan came over to him, and he opened his arms readily, allowing her to sit on the arm of his chair and snuggle into his side. "Papa, does this happen a lot?" she whispered, nuzzling his cheek. "Well, I've been dealing with things like this for my entire life. It's pretty normal." Pan giggled and kissed his cheek, "What's space like?" Gohan rolled his eyes and began telling the story of his time in space.

*A little later on*

"Mom, Dad, I want to go on the trip-" Videl cut her son off, "Chase, there is _no _way you're going off of this planet. You should let your father and your grandfather handle this." He sighed, "Mom, I'm fourteen, I can handle-" This time it was Gohan to shoot him down, "Son, don't argue with your mother. You're too young to go out into space." Chase's eyes narrowed slightly, "Dad, you were _five _when you first went-" Gohan's voice was sharp and to the point, "Are you saying that have the same experience with battle, bloodshed, and death that I did? I don't think so." Pan remained silent, looking between her father and brother with wary eyes. She never liked it when they fought like this; something about the negativity just didn't sit well with her. Videl noticed her anxiety and placed a gentle hand on her back. The males continued to bicker, and Chichi had calmed considerably; she was at the stove, cooking for her chibi husband.

"If you two are going to keep fighting like this, then I'm going out back for a swim." Pan said at last, fed up with their arguing. They both looked up, apologies dying on their lips as they caught sight of the quarter saiyan's back disappearing out the back door. Videl sighed in irritation, "You two have been butting heads so much lately, and you both know it upsets her. News flash, she's only been with us for two years, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't run my baby girl off." Gohan looked down, ashamed, and Chase clenched his fists, a low growl rumbling from his chest.

Pan didn't waste any time once she got outside, and immediately dove in, immersing herself in the cool blue water of the lake. It wasn't anything like the ocean but it would have to do. She made lazy circles in the water, throwing in barrel twists and flips and rolls, her thick raven hair whipping behind her like a flag. The iridescent periwinkle and lavender scales on her tail glittered under the afternoon sun, the reflex tinged bluish green by the water. She let a breath escape and watched the silvery bubbles float up to the surface; _I need to relax... They're going to fight regardless, it's the way things are... but it's just... frustrating..._ She began to stretch the webbing between her fingers, and then scratched at the ridges of lavender scales on her forearms, _this is so itchy... and it's natural, too._ She pouted and rubbed at it, _so irritating_. She noticed a dark shadow standing at the edge of the lake and flapped her tail, propelling herself upward.

"Hey, sweet pea, how are you holding up?" Videl asked softly as Pan's head bobbed to the surface, blue-black locks matted to her head, and bluish lilac eyes darkened with frustration. "I'm fine, Mama, just... it makes me _sick_ when they fight like this." Her mother stroked her wet hair, "Baby, your brother's getting older, and his hormones are kicking in. It makes sense that he's butting heads with his father. You should be biting my head off, but you were never a normal girl, were you?" Pan shrugged, pink blush coloring her cheeks. "How are things with you and Trunks?" Pan shrugged, "haven't seen him in a while," looking dejected. Videl smiled and kissed the top of her head, "Come back inside, baby." Panny shook her head, "They only calmed down because I left; it doesn't mean they're not mad still. I'll come in later."

*Meanwhile*

"Chase, why do you want to go on this trip so badly? You'll be gone for a year!" Kassie hissed as she leaned against Chase's bedroom door, "listen to your father and let the more experienced people handle-" Chase growled loudly, cutting her off, "So that's what it is? You think I'm not capable of handling being out in space? It's nice to see what kind of faith my girlfriend has in me." She was shaking her head, discounting his claim, "No, Chase, that's not what I-" He snorted derisively, "I'm strong, Kas, I can do this." She bit her lip, trying to curb her growing rage, "Would you _stop _acting like such a _child_? God, I say _one thing _wrong, and you throw a _tantrum_. What the hell is wrong with you?" Chase's jaw fell, "_I'm _throwing a tantrum? What about you? What, are you scared I'll find some hot alien chick and forget about you?" Kassie felt hot tears biting at the backs of her eyes and pushed them away, "Maybe it's _you_ who should be afraid I'll find someone else and move on while you're away. One whole year, that's _more_ than enough time for me to find a new boyfriend who doesn't think I'm some shallow, insecure bubble head who thinks her boyfriend will leave her at the first hint of a fine, alien piece of ass." Chase rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, like that'll happen." She nearly screamed in frustration, "What's wrong with you? Your parents don't let you have your way and you turn into some bratty child who acts like his parents don't love him. I wasn't the one who told you couldn't go, so why are you taking this out on me? 'Like that'll never happen'? Sweetheart, you must need your eyes checked because I _know_ I look damn good and that there are _plenty _guys who'd _love _to date _me_. So, yeah, it _is_ you who should be worried about getting left in the dust, because you're making me so sick right now. I'm headed home; good riddance." Kassie turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her. Chase sat on his bed, hands gripping handfuls of his hair, _what the hell is wrong with me?_

"Kassie, honey, what's wrong?" Chichi asked softly as Kassie stomped down the stairs, tears in her eyes. Gohan and Goku looked up as well, curious. "Your grandson is an insensitive jerk who doesn't know how to not hurt the people he claims to love. I'm so sorry to ask, Gohan, but could you give me a ride home? I really don't want to be anywhere near him right now." As she spoke, the tears boiled over, running down her cheeks in torrents. Gohan nodded, "I'll fly you home, Kassie." She managed a grateful smile before completely breaking down. Gohan sighed wearily before gently scooping the girl up and heading outside to set off for Kassie's home.

*At Kassie's Home*

"_Oh my._" Kaila gasped as Gohan gently laid the weary girl in her father's arms. "What happened?" the worried mother whispered, cupping her child's cheek as she rested fitfully in her father's arms. "My son is an idiot who has to take others down with him when he's feeling low." Gohan muttered, "I am _so_ sorry for his actions." Jaden clutched his daughter closer and kissed her forehead, "It's not your fault, Gohan; you didn't make him do anything to her." The two men shook hands, and Kaila gave Gohan a friendly hug and a kiss on the cheek before he left for home. "I wonder what he said to her..." Jaden murmured, trailing off. "Jaden Furaru, I know _exactly _what you're thinking. You will _not _hurt that boy... not until I get my turn." Kaila snorted daintily, "Now, come lay her down in her room so she can rest properly." Jaden chuckled and followed his silly wife into their daughter's bedroom.

*At the Son home*

Pan came in the house, a towel draped over her shoulders to keep her damp hair from getting the rest of her wet. She'd just got done swimming, and she really didn't feel like starting the long, arduous task of drying her entire self all over again. Her mother was sitting at the table, nursing a steaming cup of coffee, talking in hushed tones with her grandmother. Her Uncle and Grandfather were in the living room, playing some sort of video game that her uncle was so fond of. She could sense her twin's ki in his bedroom, and the emotions rolling off of him were filled with longing, self-loathing, remorse, and heart ache. Curious, she made her way up the stairs and timidly came to a halt in his doorway.

"What do you want, Mom- oh... it's just you, Pan." Chase muttered, looking up at her from his reclining position on the bed. She frowned at his red rimmed, swollen eyes and tear coated face, "Is something wrong, twin?" Pan inquired softly, coming over to gracefully fold her legs beneath her as she sat on his bed in a perfect seiza position. He frowned and gently ran a hand through her thick black hair, "I screwed up, Panny." She grasped his hand and gently laced her small fingers between his, "How so?" her little hands massaged his wrist and thumb soothingly, and Chase took a deep, shaky breath before telling her, "Kassie and I were in here talking, and she said that I should just stay home because a year is a long time to be gone. I got angry because I thought she doubted me, and I said something that I didn't mean. Some _things _is more like it, actually. She got upset and we fought, and then she left. Dad took her home." Pan furrowed her face at him, giving him a scarily good impression of their mother's best glare, "You need to apologize to her. Don't you remember when we were little and you used to go on and on about how cute she was? How you thought she was the prettiest girl you'd ever seen, second to Mama, Grandma, Aunt Bulma, and me? What happened to all of that? You can't just forget all of that because she said something you didn't like, Chase." He sighed, "She probably hates me now." Pan smiled secretively, "I'll invite her over to CC this weekend when Grandpa and Papa leave." He nudged her, "She doesn't want to see me, Panny, so don't bother." Pan nodded, though inwardly, she was quickly formulating a risky but effective plan to force her twin and Kassie to get over this hurtle in their lives and get back together. Life was entirely too short to waste it being away from the one you loved.

*The next day at school*

Chase opted to skip out on lunch that day, wanting to keep his girlfriend from having to sit with those horrid cheerleaders... and the football players that her elder cousin always philandered with. Her mother's sister had a bit more luck with having children, and had a daughter who was just two years ahead of them.

Tatsuye Kean was head cheerleader and had made herself _intimately_ acquainted with every member of the football team before the first half of her freshman year had gone by. Tatsuye was tall, statuesque, with long, wavy honey brown hair and piercing pale topaz eyes that she inherited from her father. Her face was sharp and defined, fitted with a small nose, full, shell pink lips, and softly tanned skin. Her body was every girl's; save for Pan and Bra, dream body. She had a full D cup chest and wide hips that any woman would refer to as '_fertile_'. They formed a smooth cradle that was ideal for carrying children... which brought to mind her numerous terminated pregnancies. Chase knew Kassie couldn't stand sitting with her shallow, bubble headed cousin and saved her the stress by, begrudgingly on his part, leaving Pan unprotected from any male who tried to make a move.

"Hey, Kas." Pan greeted cheerfully as the brunette sat her lunch down of the table. "Hi, Pan." Her voice was lifeless, falling flat as her attempt to seem cheerful and upbeat failed miserably. Her soft brown hair was in a messy braid and her face was puffy from a sleepless night, filled with endless tears. "Oh, sweet pea, what's wrong?" Bra asked gently, moving her chair closer to Kassie's. "Nothing," she replied dully, "I don't want to talk about it." Pan nudged the bluenette, "Leave her alone, Bra, she's got enough on her plate right now." Marron piped up as she came to sit in the fifth chair at the table, "Pan, where's your brother?" Kassie's shoulder's jerked as she flinched at the sound of his name, and Bra's eyes widened in realization, "Oh my... he _didn't_... that miserable-" Pan hit her arm and gestured to Kassie, who was silently weeping, her face buried in the palms of her hands. "Come on, honey, let's go to the restroom." Pan gently guided the girl from the lunch room, Bra and Marron following behind them worriedly.

*A little later*

"I'll come by to see Gohan and Goku off. I won't let him chase me away." Kassie said softly, smiling timidly at her friends. Pan smiled gently, "great. I'm glad you're not letting his idiocy run you off. Mama and Papa miss seeing you around the house." Kassie's small grin deflated at that, and Pan instantly felt bad. "I'll try to come over... I just can't face him yet." The Briefs spoke up, and everyone looked at her as she all but growled, "What did that dumbass _say_ to you? You're just dead right now." Kassie bit her lips before replying, "Basically, to him, I'm some insecure child who thinks he's going to up and leave me at the sight of a bigger set of breasts and a curvy body." Bra's jaw dropped, "Chase... Chase told you _that_?" she glanced at Pan, "Your brother's a bastard, no offense." Pan shrugged, "None taken; this was rather shitty of him to do." The downtrodden brunette piped up, "can we not talk about this right now? _Please_?" The bluenette immediately quieted and gestured to the door, "How about we get the rest of this day over with... _and then_ we go swimming after school?" Kas beamed, "that'd be awesome. Thanks, Bra."

**Since I have all this lovely time on my hands, I might be able to get at least two or three more updates on this story. We'll have to see how this all plays out. Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, or Hanukah to you all! SukiChan12 ^-^**


	11. Taking Off, Arriving on Imecka!

**This chapter starts off the day before everyone leaves to go find the Dragon Balls. Enjoy the chapter.**

*Friday Afternoon*

Pan, Bra, Marron, and Kassie found themselves hanging out at the pond in the Son's backyard, twiddling their toes; or fins for some, in the cool water. As they talked, Pan and Kassie slid into the water and started to swim in slow, lazy circles, simply enjoying the peaceful afternoon with their friends.

"I'm so jealous right now. I wish I had a tail, too." Bra whined, watching her two friends swim gracefully beneath the pond's surface. Marron and Bra were watching the two of them swim in awe.

"Tell me about it." Marron replied, leaning a bit closer to the pond's edge to watch. Pan surfaced and swam over to her friends, smiling, "I could give you a temporary tail, as in just for right now. When you get ready to go home, it'll be gone." Bra raised a brow, "What's the catch?" Pan shrugged, "You'll only sprout a tail when _this_ water touches you. How about that?" Marron squealed, "Let's do it!"

Pan closed her eyes, murmuring softly under her breath. She placed her now-glowing webbed hands on their thighs and whispered a final word. Marron gasped in surprise as beautiful, icy blue scales began to sprout all over her thighs, the color matching her eyes perfectly. Bra's scales were a cerulean color, and her elbow length hair grew to knee length. "Come on, it won't hurt if you're in the water." Pan tugged her friends into the water, where the transformation finished. Bra spun around, examining her new appendage, "It's so pretty! I love it!" Pan smiled, watching her friends get adjusted to having their new tails.

*Later*

"So we only get them when we're in the pond? And nowhere else?" Marron asked for the billionth time as the four girls lazily dragged their fins through the water. "Yes, Marron, jeeze. Only here, in the pond." Pan giggled, and then sighed, "I can't believe Papa's going away for a year." Bra looked down, "About that... Daddy decided that Trunks and Goten are going too soft, and he said that they're going instead of your dad. Can you believe it? My poor Goten in space for a _whole year_?" Pan's jaw fell in horror, "Trunks is leaving for a _whole year_? Why didn't he tell me?" Bra smiled apologetically, "He just found out today. I'm sure he would've told you, otherwise." Pan shrugged, "Let's get out of the pool. We've got a big day tomorrow." Bra grinned, "Sleepover at my place?" Kassie nodded, "My parents are okay with it, let's go." Pan flapped her tail, "I need to ask my parents, hang on," she turned to the house and spiked her ki markedly twice, waiting for one of her parents to emerge from the abode.

After a moment, Gohan and Videl came out, "What is it, Panny?" she grinned, "Can I spend the night at Bra's house?" Videl nodded, "of course, sweetie- oh my god, you all have _tails_." Bra and Marron giggled at the adults' wide-eyed expressions. "It's temporary. I was just messing around with my magic." Pan reassured them, "So I can go?" Gohan nodded, still shocked at this new development, "sure, Angel."

*that night at the Briefs' home*

Trunks smiled secretively at Pan as they ate dinner; takeout, in the lounge. She laughed through her mouthful of noodles and glanced Marron, Bra, and Kassie, who were on the other side of the room, whispering and giggling about them, no doubt. Pink blush colored her cheeks and several poorly muffled giggles rang out as Trunks pulled her closer to him. She slid unresistingly across the leather seat, blush slowly approaching fire engine red. Once she was within distance, Trunks wrapped an arm around her waist, and she laid her head on his chest on instinct.

"How's school?" he asked softly, nuzzling her forehead. "The usual," she shrugged dismissively, "How's work?" Trunks smirked and his chest vibrated with a chuckle, "The usual. I sneak out of the window." Pan snickered, "Your mother's going to catch you eventually, just wait," she thought about him leaving for a year and quieted, her expression sullen. Trunks noticed the change in her emotions and immediately grasped her hand, "Come outside with me?" she nodded and followed him out silently. The other girls watched them go, curious.

"Something's bothering you, Panny." Trunks said softly as they walked in the balmy night. "It's nothing, Trunks, just silly stuff. Nothing you should concern yourself with." Pan murmured, smiling up at him timidly in an attempt to cover up her insecurities about him going into space. "You're worried about me going into space, huh? I should've known Bra would've told you before I got the chance." Pan laughed, "You know she has a mouth on her; I don't know why you say stuff like that around her," she frowned and looked up at him, "I'm not worried about the trip. I'm just... I guess the word would be paranoid, but at the same time not really..."

Trunks gently grasped her shoulders and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "Explain yourself, Panny, cause I'm a little confused." She blushed, "My brother really wanted to go on this trip, but Papa told him no, and he took out his anger on her when she tried to explain to him that she would miss him while he was gone for a whole year. He took it the wrong way, and told her she was just afraid she would meet another girl out in space and forget all about her. She got mad about it, and now they're," she trailed off, not sure how to explain it, "I'm not sure _what_ they are at the moment."

Pan shook her head and looked up at Trunks, "I know you'd never do that to me... but I can't help but let my mind wander..." Trunks cupped her cheek, "I'd never hurt you like that, Panny, I swear." She grinned and kissed his palm, "I know, but I'm still a little paranoid, what with what happened to them. I have an idea to get them back together, but you have to do me a favor here." He smiled teasingly, "Are you sure messing around with them behind their backs is a good idea, Panny?" she scoffed and hit him on the arm, "Of course it is. If I do it face-to-face, they'll resist and everything will blow up in my face. Now, my favor. I need you to let me go with you to space-"

"No." Pan huffed, irritated with his blunt answer, "Trunks, this is the only way to get those two idiots back together. They belong together, but, at the rate they're going, they won't _ever_ get back together." Trunks sighed, debating the repercussions of the future of their relationship, "Pan, maybe this is how things are supposed to be-"

His enraged girlfriend cut him off at the pass, her periwinkle eyes flashing with her ire, "No! If they find another person, they'll _never_ be happy _again_. At least not truly," the mer-Son took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to cool off, "Listen," she breathed, closing her eyes and speaking in a slow, measured tone, "they _need_ each other. Without the other, they just exist. They're living a half-life when they're apart." Trunks stared into her eyes, shocked silent by the passion burning hot in the beautiful orbs. "He's my twin, and she's my best friend, and I want them to be happy..." she said softly, "so please... let me finish explaining my plan." Trunks nodded, "I'm sorry, go ahead."

"Alright, so I'm going to lure both of them onto the ship and then you need to launch it. Just act like you didn't know we were on board or something. That way, they're forced to spend an entire year with one another, and they'll be forced to get back together." Pan smiled up at him, "Please say you'll help me with this." Trunks frowned, "I don't know, Pan, it sounds pretty risky..." her beautiful blue eyes began to glisten in the dim outdoor lights, and he found himself unable to refuse her when she looked at him like that. '_Damn those eyes,_' he thought mournfully, already deciding to say yes to her demand. When he did, she released a high pitched squeal and glomped him, "Thank you so much, babe!" he didn't feel too sour when she gave him a '_thank you_' kiss.

"One last thing," she said when she pulled away, "Goten can't come. Your sister doesn't want him to go." Trunks, still in that starry state that she always left him in with an intense kiss, could only nod and give her a garbled '_yes_' that earned him yet another spine-tingling, mind shattering, soul-deep kiss that sent warmth spiraling through every inch of his body. He barely managed to wrap his arms around her waist to pull her in closer and deepen the kiss. Pan released a quiet whimper of pleasure as his tongue slipped past her soft lips to duel with her smaller one. The two stood in the dimly lit garden, moaning and whimpering quietly as their tongues battled ferociously in a war that would only end in pleasure for both parties. Trunks finally managed to pull away as his hands tried to rove over her small, slender body. '_Can't lose control like that again_,' he vowed silently, '_who knows what we would've ended up doing out here with no one watching?_'

"Are we going back inside, Trunks?" Pan asked softly, "because I think I'm a dead giveaway to what we were just doing." Her skin was flushed dark pink, and her soft lips were swollen and bright red from the hungry kisses they'd just shared. "Nah, we'll just walk around until you get a grip on your bearings." She grinned and grasped his hand, "why don't you give me a tour of the domes. I've never really been outside of the main dome." Trunks chuckled and brought her little hand up to his lips and kissed it, "Your wish is my command, Angelfish." Pan blushed even more as he began leading her toward the nature dome, giggling at his enthusiasm.

*The next morning*

Pan woke up in her bed at Bra's home, smiling like a fool as she recalled her walk the night before with Trunks. A soft pink colored her cheeks as her thoughts drifted to the hungry, fiery kisses they'd shared under the dim light of the crescent moon.

"Hurry up and get dressed, chica, we've got to get out to the launch pad. Your parents are here, by the way." Bra shook her gently, "Go brush and get dressed. Breakfast is waiting." Pan nodded and rolled out of bed and dug out her outfit for the day. A pair of cut-off jeans that came to about mid-thigh, a purple t-shirt, and a light blue tank to go over it. Her feet were covered by a pair of black combat boots with light blue and purple socks that came up to her knees. She was in a more adventurous mood with her wardrobe today. The young mermaid braided her silky hair and put it up in a ponytail with her favorite orange bandana from her collection in her hair. It didn't matter that color didn't quite mesh with her outfit; she'd wear it with _anything_. Once everything was in its proper order, she put her orange backpack and headed down the stairs to eat breakfast. Hopefully, Bulma had the robots whip up some pancakes for her...

*At the breakfast table*

"morning, sweet pea, did you sleep well?" Bulma asked pleasantly as Pan bounded off of the stairs. "like a baby harp seal." she replied happily, sidling into her seat for breakfast, "hi, Mr. Vegeta." Vegeta grunted in reply, well used to her pleasant attitude towards him.

He wouldn't admit it, but it was nice to have someone else; besides Kakarot, who wasn't affected by his attitude. Usually, he'd brush off the brat's pleasantries with an insult, but she had too much of her grandfather in her, and didn't take it the way most would have. Sort of like having a smarter Goku in a young girl's body.

One of the robots laid a dish of pancakes with blueberry syrup on top in front of her, and Vegeta couldn't help but smirk slightly at the childish joy in her blue eyes. According to the girl's mother, she could eat pancakes at any time of day and not complain. She wasn't picky like _his_ brats. Speaking of which, he'd noticed that his eldest brat hadn't been bringing any whores home for his mother to chase away. Even more unusual was that the woman didn't complain to him about this. She was happier, even. All of these things started to take place around Gohan's girl brat's return from her dwelling in the sea as a mermaid. The saiyan king couldn't help but wonder if his son was interested in this girl.

Pan finished her third batch of pancakes and downed a glass of milk, "thanks, Ms. Bulma!" and then headed towards the launch pad to find her friends and brother so she could initiate her plan.

*at the launch pad*

"Mama, Papa, can I go look around on the ship?" Pan asked innocently, looking at her parents with her sparkling blue eyes. "Of course, sweet heart, just make sure you're not on board when they take off." Gohan kissed her forehead and nudged her along. She grabbed Kassie's hand and dragged her over to the ship, "let's check it out." Kassie blushed and followed her friend up the ladder. While Kassie checked out one of the bedrooms, Pan did a quick ki check to see where everyone was. Chase was, shockingly, on board the ship. She could sense him near the piloting area. There was a slight determination in his ki that made her curious, but she continued on her check. Trunks had just gotten on and was headed in her direction, and her grandfather was scoping out the kitchen. Goten wasn't on board, he was too busy talking on the phone with his girlfriend, Valese; whom Bra hated with a passion because the girl was dumber than a door stop and about as bright as a shorted out light bulb.

"Hello, beautiful." Trunks breathed, wrapping his arms snuggly around Pan's waist. "Ready to kick this thing off-"

Suddenly, the engines began to rumble, and Pan cried out as the entire vicinity shook before rocketing skywards. Trunks grabbed her and pinned her against the wall so she wouldn't get tossed around as they broke through the atmosphere.

*on earth*

"What on- someone launched the ship!" Videl gasped, coming to her husband's side, "Pan and Kassie are still on there..." Gohan sighed sharply, "I'm pretty sure it's safe to bet that Chase did it. He was on there, too. There's nothing we can do, now. Not unless they turn back." Bulma rolled her eyes, "I'll try to set up a link and get ahold of them." At that moment, a piece of hardware from the ship landed on the tarmac, and Bra went to go examine it, "Mom?" The Briefs woman walked over to her daughter and knelt down so she could get a look at the fallen piece. Her eyes popped wide and she rushed over to her computer and typed something in, "Kami, this isn't good." Chichi, Videl, Marron, Bra, Gohan, Goten, and Vegeta walked over to the worried woman. "Bulma," Chichi said softly, "what is it?" Bulma took a deep, "Without this on the ship, we can't contact them." Videl bit her lip, "Poor Panny, I hope she's taking this okay. Bulma, I'm so sorry about Chase launching the ship on a whim like this." Bulma shrugged, "It's alright, Videl. Hormones make teenagers do _crazy_ things."

*on the ship*

Kassie emerged from the room she'd been examining, "We're in _space_?" Pan and Trunks blinked at one another before looking at her, "Yes..." the mermaid furrowed her brow, pouting slightly, "My parents are going to kill me." Pan piped up, "actually, they'd be more inclined to kill my idiot brother. He's the one who-" Kassie shoved past the couple, headed straight to the control room. She had a bone to pick with her boyfriend/ ex-boyfriend. She still wasn't too sure what he was to her.

"Chase, what the _hell_ were you thinking!?" Kassie screeched as she entered the piloting area, Pan, Trunks, and Goku just behind her. He jumped at her voice, spinning to face her, "Holy... Panny, Kasaiya..."

Kassie growled sharply, "I can't _believe_ you! Hijacking a ship _just_ so you could prove your father wrong!" Chase's temper flared in response, "I'm proving to him that I can handle this mission! I didn't know that you'd be on the ship, too! What, were you paranoid that I'd sneak aboard and leave you for a year?" Kassie scoffed, "why would I be paranoid about that when, _clearly_, we aren't together anymore?" a flash of pain ran across his face, and Pan winced. Kassie continued without a pause, "What? I thought that since you've been avoiding me like the plague and you haven't made any attempts to fix our relationship, which _clearly_ must've meant you didn't want to be together anymore. Was I _wrong_?" Kassie asked in a cold, sarcastic tone.

"Why does it have to be me to make an attempt to fix this-?"

"Because _you hurt me_, Chase! _Not the other way around_! _You're_ the one who broke us apart, so _YOU_ have to put us back together again. I did _NOTHING_ wrong!" tears were streaming steadily down her face, "You're just an insensitive jerk with no heart. I guess I was wrong about you all along." she spun on her heel and left the room, sobbing quietly.

"Way to go, idiot." Pan muttered, "You just got a really good chance to fix things, and you screwed up royally. How dare you pin the blame on her?" Chase gawked at her, "you're taking her side over mine? I'm your brother-"

"_Hardly_," Pan cut in harshly, "the boy in front of me barely resembles the brother I've come to love right now. You're being a- a- _darn it_, what's the word?" Trunks frowned, "stubborn jackass?" she nodded, "yeah, that. When you can show me that you can be that wonderful brother, then maybe I'll take your side. Right now, you're in the wrong and she's right. You started this mess so you get to fix it." with that, Pan whirled on her heel and left the room to go check on Kassie.

"Chase, you've got two females mad at you... and probably even more back home. You're not in a very good place." Trunks murmured, looking at the young boy with a stoic expression. Chase said nothing, only clenched his fists and looked down at his lap. Shrugging noncommittally, Trunks touched Goku's shoulder, "What do you say we go grab a bite to eat from the kitchen, Goku?" always ready to eat at any given time, Goku nodded excitedly. He wasn't exactly sure about what just happened between his grandson and his girlfriend, but one thing was for sure, and that was that he was hungry!

*With the girls*

"What the heck is wrong with him, Pan? he didn't use to be such a protective, overly defensive jerk wad when we first got together." Kassie sobbed fitfully. "I know, Kassie, I know. I don't know what his problem is, but I hope it'll get better as time goes on." Pan whispered, gently stroking her friend's hair. At that moment, Trunks slipped in, and Pan raised a brow in question. "It's too late to turn back, now. It'll take too much time off of the trip." Kassie whimpered and laid her head on Pan's chest, "I'm stuck with him for a year?" Pan waved her boyfriend away, "get out before you make her feel worse." He frowned, and mouthed, "this was _your idea_." Pan huffed and replied silently, "Things will get better. Just give it-"

Suddenly, the ship lurched, throwing Pan and Kassie off of the bed. The girls cried out, and Trunks rushed back to the control room to figure out what had happened. Pan and Kassie followed him worriedly. When the girls got to the room, they found Trunks at the steering wheel, trying to bring the ship back under control.

"Trunks, what happened?" Goku and Chase chorused. "One of the jets fell off. We need to land, and fast." Trunks replied, muttering to himself as he jerked on the wheel. Pan whimpered and buckled herself into a chair, looking worriedly out of the window. "There's a planet coming up ahead called Imecka. Don't worry, Panny, we won't crash." Trunks reassured her, and then turned his attention back to the task at hand as the planet got closer and closer. Everyone else buckled up, waiting for impact as they broke through the atmosphere.

"Everyone, hang on tight! It's gonna be close!" Trunks yelled, jerking on the steering wheel as the ground came into view. Pan closed her eyes and gripped the sides of her seat, muttering a soft prayer under her breath. The ship hit the ground hard and skidded, jarring everyone. Kassie cried out in pain as she was flung forwards, making the seatbelt burn her skin as it attempted to hold her in place. Her shoulder throbbed from the pull, and Chase looked at her worriedly. The ship flipped so everyone was upside, and Pan gritted her teeth as the blood rushed straight to her head.

"I think we're good, everyone okay?" Trunks carefully unbuckled himself and floated down to the floor/ ceiling. "Um, I think I bruised my shoulder." Kassie said softly. "Hang on; I'll get you out, Kassie." Goku unbuckled himself and floated over to her, careful not to jar her shoulder as he helped her down. Pan freed herself and landed neatly on the balls of her feet. Trunks wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side. Chase was the last to get down, and everyone headed outside of the ship so the guys could set it back upright and check out the damage.

Pan carefully healed the large bruise on Kassie's shoulder with her magic, noticing, with a barely-there smirk, that Chase was watching them furtively. "That better?" she asked softly. "Mmhm. Thanks, Panny." Kassie murmured, massaging her shoulder with her free hand. She glanced at Chase, and the two of them locked gazes before quickly looking elsewhere. Pan rolled her eyes, _Oh, get over yourselves_. She was sick of them butting heads every time they got holed up with one another. It would take a while to get them to stop raising hackles. It was clear neither of them liked being the vulnerable one.

"We need to find a new jet to go on the ship. Maybe we'll find one here." Trunks said softly, and then dug into the pocket of his jacket for the dragon ball radar, "Let's head into town and check stuff out. There aren't any dragon balls on this planet." Everyone nodded in agreement and began making their way into town, unsure of what they'd find...

**Finally! Alright, I got them on Imecka, and the next chapter should cap on the rest of the third episode, and part of the fourth. I'm sorry the wait was so long, but I've been helluva busy with my application crap for Culinary School, and Christmas and New Year's stuff. Even right now, I'm supposed to be in the kitchen, helping my mom cook. Happy New Years, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! ^-^**


	12. Making Some Progress, At Last

**I decided to skip the rest of their time on Imecka, because there's no Dragon Ball there. So yeah, Giru has integrated the dragon ball radar into his system and everything, and we're off to the planet with the huge... well, everything. Enjoy!**

"That planet was something else," Pan murmured, "charging us for taking a bath, sitting on the bed... I can't believe how cruel a King could be to do that." Kassie nodded in agreement, "at least he mended his ways, thanks to that Ledgic guy, and us." Pan shot a glare at their newest companion, a little robot that swallowed their dragon ball radar that called himself Giru, or at least that was what she thought. Luckily for the robot, and the travelers, the Dragon Ball radar had been integrated into his system.

"Giru, Giru, Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected! Giru." Giru pointed out a planet in the distance, waking Chase and Goku in the process. "You'd better not being lying, you hunk of metal." Pan hissed threateningly, narrowing her blue eyes at the orb shaped robot as she walked over to check out the view. "Calm down, Panny. Why don't you buckle up, because we're about to enter the atmosphere." Pan nodded and returned to her seat to buckle up.

*landing*

While coming in for a landing, Trunks decided to pull a few fancy tricks that earned him a bop on the head from his girlfriend. While coming in to land on a patch of rocks, Trunks clipped a mountain and landed roughly on the rocky surface. Pan's enraged cry echoed through the ship, "_TRUNKS!_"

Trunks immediately slid out of his seat and went to his girlfriend, who was rubbing her neck and mumbling about whiplash under her breath. Suddenly, the ship jerked hard, throwing Pan and Goku to the ground. Chase caught Kassie before she could fall, resulting in an awkward moment of him holding her, and her staring into his blue eyes. She immediately pulled away and backed up against the wall. Pan got up and peered out of the window, "These rocks are moving. That's not good, is it?" Trunks shook his head, "I'm going to move the ship again."

As he launched the ship, a gigantic alligator head came up, trying to snag the ship and swallow it whole. Kassie screamed and ducked behind Pan's chair. Pan grabbed onto Goku and closed her eyes, squeaking as the ship swerved through the teeth of yet another alligator, turtle thing.

"Alright, guys, we're clear." Pan opened her eyes and looked down at her grandpa, only to find him missing. She squealed, "Where's grandpa?!" Everyone looked around frantically for the small Son patriarch. "Haha, hey guys!" Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they watched Goku fly outside of the ship. "Goku, how did you get outside?" Trunks demanded, carefully steering the ship. "Never mind that, you've gotta get out here, it's unreal!" Chase shrugged, "better than being stuck in here," and headed outside. Kassie glowered at his back as he leapt out of the ship and into the wind, easily catching himself and flying up to catch up with his grandfather.

Kassie glanced at Pan, "you gonna leave, too?" she shook her head, "Uh, no. I can barely fly straight and I'm not ready to fly on my own. The wind out there would just knock me around." Kassie laughed as Trunks brought the ship in for a landing, and Pan pouted at her, "Don't make fun of me, you meanie head!" Kassie hugged her in apology, and the two of them exited the ship, looking around in wonder.

"These grass sprigs are about the size of a redwood." Pan said, incredulous. "Hey, you two, _please_ don't get lost. I don't want to give Gohan a reason to kill me when we get back." Trunks called as the two of them made their way around. "Alright, just go find the other two and start looking. We'll look over here." Pan called back, even though she didn't really mean to search. She just wanted to have a look around, "I love you!" Trunks blushed slightly, "I love you, too, Pan. Please, for the sake of my sanity, be careful!" She waved him off, "I will, now start searching!" He waved and flew off in search of the other crew members. Giru clung to his back complacently.

The girls came across a beautiful lake, and Kassie pointed out a large grouping of butterfly-like fish, "Panny, check this out!" Pan came over to look and squealed, "They're so pretty, let's go swim with them!" Kassie frowned, "is that a good idea?" Pan shrugged, "Maybe we'll find a Dragonball. Come on, let's go." Without waiting for a reply, Pan climbed onto a rock jutting out over the clear blue water and dove gracefully into the blue water. Kassie sighed and went in after her friend.

"Wow, it's beautiful down here," Kassie breathed, looking around in awe as her tail finished forming. "Come on, Kas, let's follow the fish!" Pan grasped her hand and tugged gently, gesturing towards the departing fish with her free hand. "Alright, let's go." Kassie giggled and flapped her tail to pick up speed. The two them began to swim leisurely, looking around at the large, beautifully colored fish and underwater plants.

"It's like they took everything underwater back home and enlarged it." Pan mumbled, completing a neat barrel twist as they turned a corner in the river. "I know right? I could stay down here for _ages_." Kassie flipped onto her back, gently flapping her fins to keep her speed up. "I dunno. Everything is _huge_, so I'm assuming that includes the carnivorous fish as well." Pan tapped her chin in thought, "I'd hate to run into a shark... or even those turtle things from earlier." Kassie nodded in agreement, "Maybe I couldn't stay down here for ages... but it _is_ lovely."

*Meanwhile*

Trunks jumped as Pan's ki lit with excitement and suddenly morphed into the aquatic version that usually went with her mermaid form. _Damn it, Pan_. He continued to fly around until his spotted Chase and Goku in the grass, laughing about something. "Hey, you guys, we didn't come all this way just to play around. We already lost enough time on Imecka, now we really need to get it together." Chase nodded, but Goku waved him off, "Relax, Trunks, we'll find the dragon ball." Giru, on his back, chirruped, "Dragonball detected! In that direction!" the three guys launched into flight, headed in the direction Giru indicated.

Trunks flew through the apple tree, marveling at the sheer size of the juicy apples hanging from it. Somewhere nearby, Goku latched onto another fruit and took a big bite from it, smiling widely at the sweet taste. Chase rolled his eyes as he searched lower, around the tree's base. A glint of orange caught his eye and he grinned, "Found it!" the guys made their way down to snag the ball, when suddenly, a round red apple fell from the tree and landed on top of it. The trio landed on the ground around the apple. "Dang it, the ball's under there!"

"How about you lift and I grab?" Trunks suggested, looking at Chase. Chase started to nod when a gigantic bird swooped down. The three men hit the ground as the bird dive-bombed over them and nabbed the fruit with its sharp talons, and then launched into the air once more with a victorious cry.

"Well, the bird did all of the- _hey!_ The Dragonball's _gone_!" Goku crowed, staring at the empty crater in a disappointed manner. "Dragonball stuck in apple! Giru." Giru reported, pointing at the bird that was now a good distance away. "Let's get-" two screams ripped through the air, cutting Trunks off midsentence. He recognized the voice straight away and noticed that the source was in the same direction as the bird, "That was Kassie and Pan!" Chase gritted his teeth, "let's go!" before the others could respond; he'd taken off in a flurry of wind and ki, leaving them in his dust.

*with the girls*

Pan and Kassie had been leisurely swimming with the butterfly fish and were calmly relaxing on some lovely, comfy underwater flowers, watching the fish take the pollen from the blossoms. Suddenly, a large shadow blotted out the sun and the fish scattered. Kassie swam over to Pan, and the two of them looked up worriedly, "what in the-" a set of large red hands encircled them both and began to rise upwards, towards the surface. Pan began beating and scratching the inside of the strange hands, "Let us out, you oaf!" the hands opened slightly, allowing a large eye to peek in at them. Kassie screamed in fright and grabbed onto Pan, who screamed and grabbed onto her.

Before either them could register anything more, they'd been dumped into a gigantic frying pan, strangely similar to the one Pan's mother and grandmother used to bash her father, brother, grandpa, and Uncle in the head with. The bottom was filled with water, so neither of them had a chance to dry off and escape. Pan dragged herself across the smooth surface to Kassie's side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a gigantic bird drop and apple into the giant's hand, and there was strange orange glint in the fruit that made her furrow her brow. The bottom of the pan and the water around them felt uncomfortably hot, and she realized, with horror, that they were going to be cooked. _Oh my gosh, what are we going to do_? She looked skyward, searching for any sign of her sibling, grandfather or Trunks as the skillet grew even hotter. _Trunks, guys, please hurry_. She begged in her mind, _my skin's starting the blister_!

*With the guys*

"Hey, I smell fish!" Goku crowed, rubbing his stomach, "It's probably not as good as Chichi's, but I'll eat _anything_ right now!" Chase didn't reply, entirely focused on the task at hand. He _had_ to save Pan and Kassie. "That's not fish," Trunks said, rage building in his chest, directed at the giant, "that's Pan and Kassie! He's _cooking_ them!" He pointed downwards, and the others followed his finger, eyes wide in shock. "Mermaids must be a delicacy here." Goku grumbled, his hunger forgotten. "They're not on the menu today. Not on my watch." Chase replied, flying closer with Trunks at his side.

As the males came into view, the girls waved frantically at them, wriggling towards the far side of the pan. The guys landed beside the fire, trying to figure out the best way to get them off of the hot pan. "He'll see us if we just go for it... what do we do?" Goku piped up, "What if I distract him, and you two get your girlfriends?" Chase nodded, leaning towards the fire readily. He'd hardly noticed Goku's girlfriend comment, too focused on his mission.

At that moment, the giant stood up and snatched the pan from the flame, smelling the onions and garlic pieces that had been placed in the pan to give the girls '_flavor_'. "Goku, just distract him, we'll go for the girls." Goku nodded in the affirmative and launched into the air and began whizzing around the giants' head. As expected, the giant dropped the pan to swat at him, leaving the girls to free-fall towards the ground, their tails flapping in the air. Chase and Trunks immediately swooped in to save them.

Pan squealed in surprise as she began to plummet through the air, wincing at the wind whipping over her wet body. Suddenly, strong, warm arms wrapped around her, cradling her gently. She looked up, flapping her tail gently, "Oh, Trunks, I thought he was going to eat us for sure!" Trunks kissed her forehead gratefully, "I'm glad that bird led us here. We could've lost you both, and Gohan and Videl would've killed me when we got back." Pan rolled her eyes and kissed him on the lips, "Thank you for saving me, Trunksie." He rolled his eyes and blushed at the nickname, "You're welcome." Chase whizzed over to them, cradling a frightened Kassie in his arms. She clung to him desperately, crying into his neck. Goku flew over with the Dragonball, "I've got it, now we should get out of here before he gets his sight back." Everyone nodded in agreement and headed back to the ship.

*On the ship*

Chase carefully helped Kassie dry herself off as Trunks prepped the ship for takeoff. The young Son was careful to keep his eyes down as he worked, not wanting to provoke her anger. He jumped when she placed a hand on his shoulder, but didn't look up. "Chase," she whispered, "Look at me. _Please_?" he dragged his gaze upwards, over her scaly, pale blue '_knees_', her exposed midriff and ample chest, up to her beautiful, heart shaped face. Her blue eyes were somber and calm, not the blazing gems from earlier on in the trip, or the agonized orbs he'd seen when he'd gotten caught in that force field and electrocuted when they'd confronted Donkee on Imecka.

"Thank you for saving me back there." Kassie whispered, smiling gently at him. "Y-you're welcome." Chase stuttered slightly, and then returned to drying her off. Kassie frowned and touched him again, "Please don't do that." He frowned at her, confused, "do what? I'm just helping you dry off-"

"Don't act like you have to do this for me. You're not my slave, Chase."

His eyes widened, "Why would you think-" she grasped his hands in hers gently, "You won't make eye contact with me, and you're acting like a kicked puppy. I'm sorry for the things I said to you on the first day-" Chase shook his head, "You don't have to apologize. I know I deserved it." He tried to pull his hands free, but she refused to let go, "Chase, I hate this. It hurts." His eyes shot up to hers, and she could see the pain in his eyes from her voicing her own pain. "What hurts?" he whispered, squeezing her hands. "The space between us. I miss you, Chase, but I don't think I can forgive you, yet. You really hurt me, and it's going to take some time before I can get over it." He nodded once, "I understand," voice solemn. Chase stood up, and Kassie sighed sadly as he left the room with his head hung low.

**(A/N: I'm so sorry if anyone got emotional over this scene, because I sure did.)**

Pan came in, smiling gently, "You okay?" Kassie bit her lip, fighting off her tears, "_Fine_. I'm f-fi-fi-ine." Sobs ripped free from her chest, and Pan felt her heart clench as her friend seemed to collapse on herself. She grabbed the towel Chase had left and began drying her friend off, murmuring comforts as she worked. _I'm glad you two are making progress, but it's going to hurt regardless. You have to tear things down before you can build them back up, sweet pea_. Pan gently kissed Kassie's forehead as she held her tight, rubbing her back to soothe her. _Hopefully you two are done trying to bite each other's heads off at every turn now_. She heard Giru's cry from the next room as they hurtled through space, "Dragonball detected! Dragonball detected!"

_Great, the sooner we start making progress on finding the balls, the sooner their relationship will repair itself. I just hope they don't destroy it before it gets a chance to build up again..._

**Two updates in two days! Aren't you all just proud of me! I spent an entire day working on this to make up the missed update last week, and hopefully I can get one more, or even two by next Monday, because I go back to school on Tuesday. I really don't want to go back yet, but the sooner I go, the sooner I graduate, and then I'm off to Culinary School in the fall! And, as usual, R&R!**


	13. Underaged Brides, and a Mysterious Enemy

**Yay, the Zoonama chapter! I'm so excited about this one. Someone asked how old the characters are on the last chapter. Chase and Pan are 14, Kassie's 15, Trunks is 28 and Goku... I can't exactly give an estimate, but he's physically around eight, lol. Does anyone know how old Goku is exactly? I know he's up there, but not the exact number. **

**Pan and Trunks are together now because she may be fourteen, but she definitely doesn't look that young, thanks to her mermaid genes. Physically, she's roughly around 18 or 19, and she's very mature for her age. I didn't like how immature she was GT so I changed that. The age difference **_**does**_** make me uncomfortable, so I try to justify it the best I can. I don't think I'm very good at the traditional get-togethers, so I do the best I can. **

**On a lighter note, they won't be doing much more than kissing until Pan turns 18. Another thing, Chase and Kassie are more than capable of having a deep relationship. Some kids just mature faster than others. Okay, I'm done with my rant, now read!**

"It's definitely in this direction. The radar doesn't lie." Trunks said softly, "see, here's a village." Pan rolled her eyes and grasped his hand as they came to the top of a hill, "I wasn't questioning _your_ direction skills. I was questioning that robot's. You know I'm not too fond of technology. _Him_ in particular." The couple had spent the last mile or so bantering back and forth about the effectiveness of the radar versus Pan's magic.

"I'm telling you," Pan insisted as they neared the village, "if I could figure out the mystical energy that each ball gives off then I'd be able to find them myself. We wouldn't need that annoying little clunker." Trunks wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple, "I love you, Panny, but we're keeping the '_clunker_', as you call him." Pan pouted, but gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "Fine, just don't blame me if he's actually a turnscale." Trunks rolled his eyes, "You and your phobia of technology." She blushed, "I grew up around _magic_, not these silly computers you land-walkers use. What it takes you days to accomplish, I could make it happen in _seconds_." The saiyan prince nuzzled the top of her head as they continued towards the village, "Wait, what's a _turnscale_?" Pan huffed impatiently, "A turnscale is our word for turncoat. We also use turnfin as well."

Behind them, Kassie and Chase trailed along, with Goku between the two couples. They weren't fighting against their feelings anymore, nor were they encouraging them. The two of them kept at least eight inches between them at _all_ times. Both of them had their heads down, looking at the ground as they walked, because neither of them could find the courage to break the silence between them, choosing to suffer in it instead.

"Hey what's going on?"

Goku spoke up, gesturing to the crowd surrounding the main building of the small village. The group of five moved closer, curious. Giru spoke up, "Dragonball here! Dragonball here!" Pan headed over to someone and tapped them on the shoulder, ignoring the negative noises from her brother and Trunks, "Excuse me, can you tell me what's going on here?" she asked calmly, a soft smile on her lips. The man she asked looked back at her, unintentionally drawing the attention of the rest of the crowd. "Zoonama has come." The man replied bluntly, and Pan frowned, _what's a Zoonama_?

Mutters of '_how rude_' and '_disgraceful_' rippled through the crowd. Giru crowed, "Dragonball in hair! Dragonball in hair!" Trunks gasped, pointing out a female that sat in the main building, her head hanging low. She had thick black hair, gathered in a peculiar ponytail/ braid. From the end of her braid hung a round orange orb. Pan jumped as Trunks, Goku, and Chase flew past her and Kassie, pushing through the crowd to get a closer look at the orb.

Pan rolled her eyes and grasped Kassie's shoulder, "Such hooligans, I swear." Kassie nodded, giggling slightly. The two of them made their way up the steps and into the main building, watching their group members carefully count the stars on the orb. "They could at least retain some manners before barging into someone else's village meeting like this." Pan muttered, and then rolled her eyes skyward. "You'll have to forgive us, you see, that ball is ours and we need it." The mer-Son stepped forward and clapped a hand over her boyfriend's mouth, "What he _meant _to say is that your ball can save millions of our people. We'd hate to ask, but may we please have it back?" She added on a soft, friendly smile, hoping to seal the deal.

"You endanger yourselves by being here," the man who stood at the woman's side said harshly, "We have no idea when Zoonama will return, so we can't worry about your people. We have our own problems." The sad woman looked up at him reproachfully, "Doma, in our hardships let's not forget other's needs." Doma sighed and nodded once, subdued, "Yes, Laine." Goku piped up, "Hey, who's this Zoonama guy we've been hearing about?" Chase nodded, "Maybe we can help you with him?" Trunks smiled apologetically, "We made a rude entrance and we'd like to make it up to you." Pan smiled and nodded up at him, "That's much better than before, Trunks. Maybe there's hope for you, yet." He blushed and she muffled her giggles in her hand.

*Explanations*

"Zoonama has been a terrible plague upon our village for as long as I can remember," The old man spoke up, drawing silence at the small dinner table, "he's a god; an evil monster who can cause the planet to tremble just by shaking his whiskers. He holds no purity in his dark heart," the elder sighed sadly, "We've tried to keep him at bay by offering him our most valued possessions, but now, it's not enough for him. Now he desires our women." Kassie gasped, horrified, "That's _terrible_." Chase hesitantly placed a hand on top of hers in comfort, and she gave him a small smile in return, then mouthed a quick thanks before returning her attention to the old man. Before the elder could continue, however, Giru began to chirp loudly, "Danger detected! Danger approaching!"

Outside, the villagers began to panic and cry out in fear, "He's coming for us!" Laine went to Doma and hid her face in his chest, whimpering softly. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. The others went to the window to see what this was all about, though Trunks and Chase made sure the two mermaids were behind them at all times. Behind them, Giru ran circles, squealing, "Danger! Danger!" over and over. Pan had enough and kicked her leg out, tripping the small robot and sending him sailing into a trash bin, "We _heard_ you already; you are _so_ annoying! _Aghh_!"

A large shadow began to slither across the village, and the ground shook with each massive foot step. Kassie bit her lip; whatever was coming wasn't by any means small, and she wasn't sure she wanted to see what it was. Pan grimaced as a large, teal colored blob-like beast began to make its way to the main building, smashing buildings as it went. Judging by the slick, leathery-looking skin, it was aquatic and she cringed. She'd never seen any creature underwater on earth that was this _hideous_. The thing released a gravelly chuckle, and Pan faintly heard Laine whimpering behind her. He came to a stop before the frightened people and rumbled in his disgusting voice.

"Well, my peasants, have you decided on a bride for me yet?" Pan stepped around her grandfather to get a better look out of the window, watching Zoonama dance and sing about the things his bride would have to do for him. "Pan, get back!" Trunks hissed, grabbing her arm. At that moment, Zoonama looked down and spotted the raven haired, lilac eyed beauty peering out the window and leered at her. Pan made a faint noise of disgust and backed away from the window. Zoonama laid flat on his stomach so he could peer inside of the hut at her, and was surprised to find a second beauty, this one with light brown hair and pale blue eyes. Both of them intrigued him greatly, but, alas, he only asked for one bride... _Nonsense_, he decided, _I'll ask for these two, and if they refuse, I'll 'shake' things up a bit_.

"I want those two lovely ladies as my brides," he crowed, pointing at the girls happily, "If you refuse, I'll make the volcano erupt and destroy your little village!" Kassie gagged and turned away, and Pan leveled her mother's glare at him, "No way in-" Trunks covered her mouth, "Shh!" Zoonama stood upright, "Shall I shake my whiskers?" the villagers began to shriek, "No, Zoonama, please! We beg you!"

The monster chuckled, "I like when people beg me... but only those two beauties will stop the quake!" his whiskers began to wiggle and, to Kassie's surprise, the ground began to shake with such ferocity, everyone was thrown to the ground. Pan gasped in pain as her hand got slashed on a broken water jug as she hit the floor, and immediately clutched her bleeding hand to her chest. To her surprise, the blood made her transform, and she cursed herself for not remembering that blood did have water in it. Trunks crawled over to her and carefully wrapped her hand in a piece of his shirt, "This defies all logic; how can he cause a quake just by doing that?" she shrugged and hissed in pain as he pulled the makeshift bandage a little tighter.

"Where are my brides to be? If they don't show in one minute, I'll erupt a volcano and torch this place!" Laine pulled away from Doma and made her way outside, determined to stop the quake. "Zoonama!" she called, pausing his cheer. He turned to face her curiously, "Where are my brides? You aren't one of them." She shook her head, "Allow us a day to get them prepared for you, Zoonama. Please, we only ask that much of you."

"She just handed us over to that _beast_!" Kassie screeched, incredulous. Pan gasped in shock, "She _did_?!" Doma shook his head at the two girls, "Laine has a plan, and she needs your cooperation to make it work." Trunks grumbled under his breath, "It better not end up with Pan dead, or there'll be hell to pay." Pan cupped his cheek, "Calm down, I don't think she'd put us in a position where we could potentially get killed."

"Alright," the monster rumbled, "One day, and then I'll return for my lovely brides." The quake stopped, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief as his footsteps moved further and further away. Laine suddenly collapsed, and Doma raced outside to pick her up and bring her back in.

*A bit later*

Trunks raised a brow, "Why won't your tail go away?" Pan winced, "As long as my hand's bleeding, it's not going anywhere. It's the water in my blood, really. Hold on." she removed the bandage and placed her hand over the wound, whispering a quick healing spell. The wound sealed shut, and her tail parted into legs in a flash of blue light. Trunks helped her to her feet and led her back to where everyone else was sitting, waiting for Laine to awaken.

When they got to the room, Laine was awake, but still slightly woozy. "I'm sorry for dragging the two of you girls into this, but if my plan works, then you won't have too much to worry about." She murmured, gently squeezing Pan's hand, "I wasn't aware that you were a sea goddess." Pan furrowed her brow, confused, "What's a _sea goddess_? I'm a mermaid." Doma smiled, "It's our term for mermaid, then." Kassie nodded, "Somehow, I like that term better than mermaid. So, Laine, what's your plan?" Laine sat up against her pillows, "You two are going back to his lair, but you'll be taking a special drink for Zoonama with you. It'll make him fall asleep so Doma can cut his whiskers off. The only problem is that we don't have a big enough set of clippers for his whiskers."

"We've got a gigantic set of scissors on the ship, I think that'll work." Kassie spoke up, and Pan wailed, "Those are _mine_!" Kassie giggled, and then calmed herself, "Don't we need wedding dresses? Do you have anything white?" Laine pointed to her closet, "I had a wedding dress made for mine and Doma's wedding, but I don't think the style would be to your liking." Kassie scoped out the peculiar dress, "The jacket can go, but I'll wear this one. Pan, why don't you scope out the closet."

Laine's wedding dress consisted of a lavender skirt and top, a magenta jacket, and a blue and pink overskirt, patterned with yellow stripes, triangles, and circles. The veil was a green and pink Chinese-esque hat with a red bow at the top. The veil hung from the rim of the hat, down to about mid-thigh. "It's beautiful, but you don't mind if I remove the jacket, do you? I don't like long sleeves." Laine laughed and nodded, "Go right ahead, I don't mind at all."

Meanwhile, in the closet, Pan found a matching white skirt and tube top with a lavender overskirt, patterned with midnight blue diamonds. One of the older ladies offered to make her a wreath to go around her head, as well as a veil to cover her face.

"What if, instead of jackets, the two of you wear a wrap?" Chase suggested, "You know, kind of like the tops that Indian women wear?" Kassie nodded, "Thanks, Chase, I think that would work." Laine spoke up, "Why don't you all get some rest. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

*Early the next morning*

Pan and Kassie were awakened before sunrise to be bathed and prepped for their '_wedding_'. The bathing part was kind of difficult, what with the two of them being mermaids, or sea goddesses, as the natives called them, but they made it work. Once that was finished, the women got to work on their hair and nails. Kassie's waist length tresses were styled in a loose, wavy ponytail, while Pan's midnight waves were hanging down her back in curls. Her bangs were curled just right so the women could position the wreath of pink blossoms and the veil perfectly. Once that was done, the women did their make-up, and including the blue-green squiggle tattoo that every native has on their left cheek. At last, they were getting dressed in their wedding dresses. Kassie's shoulders were covered by a thin, magenta drape, and Pan's were covered by a lavender shawl. The veils were placed, and the girls slipped into their matching pink boots.

"You look... beautiful..." Kassie turned to face Chase, blushing, "Thank you." He smiled sadly, and she frowned, "Chase, what is it?" He furrowed his brow, "I can't believe I almost gave this up because I threw a tantrum like a child." She smiled at him gently, "I'm glad you didn't just let go of me because what happened. You didn't give up." Suddenly, there was no space between them, save for the veil around her face. Chase gently pushed the thin curtain aside and pecked her cheek, "We won't let you or Pan out of our sight. I swear." Kassie's heart began to pound in her chest as she stared into his amazingly expressive lilac eyes, "I know." He let the veil fall back into place and stepped back, glancing towards the door.

Pan peeked in, "Kas, Chase, it's time." Kassie nodded shakily and headed out of the room, but not before giving Chase a small smile. Pan smirked at him, "I'm glad you're trying, bro. She'll be yours again, just give it time." He nodded once, "Be careful out there, Panny." Her smirk broadened, "And for what reason? We've got this in the bag, and, as soon as this is done, we'll get the six star ball and be on our way." Chase rolled his eyes, "I'm happy that you're so confident about this, but still, be careful, or Mom and Dad will have my head when this is all over and done with." Pan gave him a hug, "I'll be careful for your sake, brother," and kissed his cheek, "Now, go spy on us and don't get caught."

*Waiting*

Pan stood at the edge of the balcony, holding her bouquet up so only her eyes and nose showed. Kassie stood at her side, holding her flowers in a similar manner. In some nearby bushes hid Trunks, Goku, Doma, and Chase. Doma had a pair of gigantic scissors strapped to his back. The group of six waited quietly for the monster to make his appearance. Pan turned to Trunks and winked over her bouquet. He smiled, secretly admiring her beauty and radiance in the strange; for him, wedding dress she wore.

"You said these girls are 14 and 15?" Doma asked softly, staring at them, "Why is it that they look like fully fledged women?" Trunks shrugged, "it's the mermaid in them. Makes their growth accelerate faster than normal girls their age." Chase glared at the man, "You're engaged, so don't get any ideas." Trunks nudged Chase, "Calm down, no one's going to steal your girlfriend away. Or your sister for that matter."

The group quieted as the ground began to shake with the steps of the approaching monster. Pan pulled her veil down in front of her face and carefully strapped the jug of the knockout drink to her back. Kassie used her flowers to hide the cringe on her face as Zoonama came into view. "Does this sick freak have a bowtie around his neck?" She mumbled, biting her lip to keep her gagging at bay. "Hey, I still can't believe I'm getting '_married_' at 14. Anything is possible, Kas."

"Ah, yes, you two are the lovely brides I saw yesterday. Let me get a look at your precious faces." Zoonama boomed as he came to a halt in front of the balcony. "It's not proper for the groom to look upon the bride's faces unless we're alone." Pan said innocently, making her eyes glitter just so. Zoonama nodded, "You two are so sweet. Let's head back to my love nest so you two can let your gorgeous hair down." Kassie winced as his slimy, damp hand gently cupped her as he scooped her and Pan up in his hold. She glanced back at the bushes where Chase hid, trembling slightly. He winked at her and ducked back down as Zoonama jumped down from the balcony and began his trek back to his lair.

**(A/N: At this point, I'm doing my own thing with this episode. Another thing, I'll be skipping around some because I've got a lot planned for the Bebi saga, and I'm so ready to get that started. I think after this chapter, I'll skip to the end of episode 10, when Pan accidentally launched the ship and sent herself and Giru to Planet Luud. Just a heads up, because GT is too much to cover.)**

As they came upon a lake, Pan realized, with horror, that they were going to get wet, which meant popping tails. Kassie met her panicked gaze with one of her own and mouthed, '_What do we do?_' she shrugged in reply, glancing around Zoonama's shoulder, trying to find her grandfather, Trunks, or Chase in the bushes.

"They're going in the water." Trunks whispered, eyeing Pan worriedly. "There's nothing we can do about this. We'll just hope that he doesn't freak out about it." Chase grumbled, wincing at the fear in his sister's eyes. Zoonama dove in, and the group moved to the edge of the pond, watching his large silhouette disappear as he swam deeper and deeper.

"I hope Pan and Kassie are handling this okay." Goku murmured as he reached for his obi to untie his gi. "I'm pretty sure Pan's handl- what on earth... Grandpa_, put your clothes back on!_" Chase nearly screamed; blushing furiously as his grandfather stripped down to his '_bare_' essentials. "_What_? I never swim with clothes on. Why does it bother you so much?" Goku asked, incredulous, "We used to take baths together all the time." Chase's blush surpassed fire engine red at that point, "I was a little _baby_! People grow up, grandpa. Apparently, even _that_ doesn't apply to _you_." Goku tied his clothes to his head, along with Giru, and walked to the water's edge, "I don't want to grow up if it means I have to swim with my clothes on," and dove in.

"He is your grandfather, Chase?" Doma asked curiously. "_Unfortunately_, he is." Chase replied, nudging Trunks towards the water's edge. "How strange," Doma murmured, "Here, we start small, grow big, and then shrivel." **(A/N: Gotta love that Goku humor, lol.)**

*with the girls*

Within ten seconds of entering the lake, Pan and Kassie felt the zipper sensation of their tails forming. Pan glanced down at her white skirt, cringing as her legs vanished in a blue light that slowly reformed into her tail. Kassie was in the same boat. Zoonama zipped up a tunnel surfaced in an underwater cave. He carefully laid them both on the cool stone floor, and then did a double take. "You two are sea goddesses!" He rumbled. "What tipped you off, the tail smacking against the cave floor?" Kassie grumbled, annoyed. Zoonama didn't hear her, too caught up in his joy. Here he was, an aquatic monster. What better mates for him than two sea goddesses with the ability to go on land?

"I brought you a gift, Zoonama. A special drink to celebrate our... _union_." Pan unhooked the drink from her back, cringing at the word on her tongue. There was only one man that she entertained the thought of being married to, and this creep certainly wasn't him. Zoonama grinned, "Why thank you... what are your names?" Pan smiled coyly, "Panchaia." She hadn't used that name in a little over two years, and the memories that came with it made her happy, sad, and angry all at once. She briefly wondered how her adoptive mother and selfish aunt were doing without her.

"Mine is Kasaiya." Kassie breathed, eyeing Pan worriedly. The moment she mentioned her name, she'd seemed to have drifted off into some sort of daze, "Could you give us some towels? It would be easier for us to move around if we had our legs back." Zoonama nodded and grabbed some towels for the two girls. Pan began drying off and glancing worriedly towards Zoonama. "Why don't you taste the drink, Zoonama? If its strawberry, then I won't be able to drink it because I'm deathly allergic to strawberry." She said smoothly, turning her gaze to the water.

"Anything for you, my dear Panchaia." Kassie nearly squealed with delight as the monster uncorked the bottle and began chugging, '_yes, the sooner he drinks, the sooner we can get away from this creep!_' Before long, he pulled the bottle from his lips, a rich blush coloring his cheeks, "That's n-n-not st-strawberry-ry." Pan raised a brow as she finished drying off and sashayed over to him, "_Oh_? Then what flavor is it, _dear_? I'm allergic to several others as well."

"It's... it's... it-ugh... who is that?" He gestured to the massive amount of gifts behind them, and Kassie winced as Chase, Trunks, Doma, and Goku peered over the gifts at them. "They're our good friends, Zoonama-" the drunken monster cut in, "No! They've come to interrupt my time with you! No one's going to interrupt my time with Kasaiya and Panchaia!" Pan approached the creature, trying to calm his drunken fit, "Don't worry, dear, they wouldn't-" Zoonama roared angrily, "get out of my face," and swiftly backhanded Pan straight into a pile of gifts. There was a loud crunch as a bone in her arm or shoulder broke, followed by her cry of pain.

"Oh, that's _it_!" Trunks roared, powering up to super saiyan. Chase went to check on his sister as Trunks charged viciously, and freed her from the rubble. Kassie tried to make her way over to them, but the drunken Zoonama saw her and dumped a fistful of water on her. Kassie cried out as she flopped unceremoniously to the cave floor. Goku scooped her up and moved her to the side. Trunks hit Zoonama in the gut, knocking him flat on his back. When he didn't move, Trunks powered down and investigated. A loud snore rumbled from his chest, and Trunks rolled his eyes, "_Now_ the drink kicks in." he glanced up as Chase carried a whimpering Pan from the rubble and rushed over to investigate.

"Trunks, my arm..." Both Trunks and Chase got a good look at her arm and winced. It was bent at an odd angle, like no arm should be. "Can you heal it yourself?" Trunks asked gently. "Don't know." She breathed, and placed her free hand on the broken arm, but quickly jerked it back, "Hurts to touch it."

Chase glanced at Doma, "cut the whiskers!" Doma nodded and made his way over with the big scissors. He carefully snipped the first one, inciting Goku and Kassie to burst into laughter at the way the remainder of it curled up, kind of like a French man's. As Doma moved to cut the next one, Zoonama began to awaken, and Pan groaned in pain as Chase carefully laid her in Trunks's arms.

"_Achoo_!" The creature released a loud, rumbling sneeze that sent Doma and the scissors flying across the cave. Zoonama's eyes drifted to Pan, and then Trunks, who was holding her, "Put my Panchaia down!" Trunks growled loudly, startling everyone, "She's _my_ Panchaia, not yours! I'm not the one who hurt her!" Goku came over and, after passing Kassie to Chase, placed a calming hand on Trunks's arm, "Cool it, Trunks. It's alright." Pan burrowed her face in his chest, "Trunks, my arm hurts." He kissed her forehead and inhaled her sweet, soothing scent, trying his best to keep himself from growling like an animal at Zoonama. "It's just your saiyan instincts telling you to protect what's yours, Trunks. Calm down, he's not taking Pan anywhere, not while I'm here." Goku vowed. Trunks nodded and backed away slightly. Zoonama was _not_ pleased.

"_Deceivers_," he seethed, "I'll kill you _all_!" Kassie clutched the sleeve of Chase's jacket as he backed away. "How about a quake, hm? And then I'll erupt this volcano and burn you all into _ash_! _Yes_! Shake time!" he began to wiggle his whiskers, but, to his shock, nothing happened. He pulled out a mirror to examine his face, and a mournful howl escaped his throat, "No! My whisker's gone! You can't stop me, you idiots! I still have one, and I'll use it to shake this planet to _molecules_!"

An intense quake began, and Trunks stilled himself so he wouldn't drop Pan and disturb her broken arm any further. Chase held Kassie tight as everyone else was thrown about by the quake. Suddenly, without warning, it stopped; though Zoonama continued his stupid dance, and his lone whisker continued to wiggle about. "It's not working anymore!" Kassie cried, and everyone began to realize the depth of the situation.

"Brought in reinforcements, huh? Doesn't matter, this house is coming down and you're all going to die!" Zoonama yelled, continuing his odd dance. Once more, nothing happened, and Kassie flapped her tail in an agitated manner, nearly throwing Chase off-balance, "He's a _fake_! He can't _cause_ earthquakes, he can only tell when they begin and end! He just wiggles his whiskers whenever one starts, and stops whenever the quake does. He's too drunk to tell that it's ended, the drunken fool."

The monster; realizing his secret was out, broke into a long, tearful sob story, begging to be spared from their wrath. Trunks growled threateningly, "You don't _deserve_ to be spared, _you_-" Pan moaned, and he returned to keeping her arm still with a gentle kiss on her forehead, "We're almost out of here, Panny, just hang in there." The cave began to shake again, and Goku's eyes shot to a steaming vent in the floor of the cave. _Dang it, the volcano's about to blow_!

"Enough of this, the volcano is actually erupting!" Goku yelled, breaking up the intense standoff, and then glanced up sharply when Pan whimpered in pain, "Let's get out of here. There are senzu beans on the ship." The entire cave shook as the group and monster made their escape through the water, swimming as fast as their legs, or fins, could carry them. Kassie grabbed onto Chase to help pull him along faster.

Once everyone surfaced, Goku flew off to stop the volcano, which was now fully erupting and about to destroy the village. "Take Pan back to the ship and get her a senzu bean! I'll stop the volcano!" Trunks nodded and flew Pan back to the ship, Chase tagged along, carrying Kassie in his arms. As the group of four landed beside the ship, there was a brilliant explosion of white light on the horizon as the volcano was destroyed by a kame hame ha. "Go grandpa." Chase cheered as they entered the ship. He immediately placed Kassie on a chair and moved away from her.

"Chase, come here, please." Kassie called, smiling invitingly, "I need help with getting dried off, if you don't mind." He smiled in return, "I'd be glad to help." Together, the '_slowly becoming unstrained_' couple set to work drying her from head to fin.

*with Trunks and Pan*

"How does your arm feel?" Trunks asked gently, kissing her palm. "Much better, thank you." Pan whispered, nuzzling his cheek. "Dende, Panny, I almost went berserk when he hit you like that." Trunks breathed, and Pan snuggled into his chest, "It's okay; I'd probably do the same if it were you in my place. I love you." He smiled, "I love you, too, Angelfish." She blushed furiously at her nickname and gave him a gentle, loving kiss. They remained in their romantic embrace for a few moments longer, and then Pan pulled away, "I've gotta get out of this wedding dress and into something a little bit more comfortable. Can we go back to the village? I left my orange bandana there." Trunks nodded, "We need to head back to get the Dragonball."

Pan changed into a dark red long sleeve t-shirt, an orange vest, and a pair of blue jean capris. She completed her outfit with her combat boots, some red socks, and braided her hair up into two separate ponytails. "I'm done." She waltzed out of her room and went to go find Trunks. On her way, she found Kassie and Chase whispering to one another, and she was pleased to see that their hands were intertwined. _Won't be long now_. Pan grinned and continued on her way.

*Back at the village*

"This is for your bravery and promise. It was beyond all expectation." Laine smiled as she placed the Dragonball in Kassie's palms. "Thank you so much, Laine." She grinned, weighing the cool orb in her hands. "Thank you. You've helped us more than you know. Now, Doma and I can be married at long last." She smiled up at Doma, who wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his side, "The five of you made the impossible happen. We never imagined that Zoonama would be willing to join our village."

Pan gasped in surprise, "He _did_?" she glanced at the creature who chuckled nervously. "He's a gentle giant once you _truly_ get to know him." Goku chuckled when the creature blushed, "Just keep him away from any liquor." Doma nodded, "We'll _definitely_ hold him to that." The Dragonball, which had been resting in Kassie's hands, began to hover and glow, much to her surprise. "Is it supposed to do that?" she asked, slightly afraid of being wrong on that account. "No, it's not." Trunks replied, taking a step towards her in an attempt to grab the ball.

Before anyone could try to grab the rogue orb, it shot through the crowd, landing neatly in the open hand of one of the natives. He grinned sinisterly, and, before their eyes, transformed into a blue skinned alien, dressed in a tight red suit with a peculiar looking black and orange vest over it. The alien floated above the crowd, sniggering quietly. Beyond him, a ship zoomed in closer, picked him up, and launched into flight. "Thanks for the Dragonball, suckas!" a parting yell echoed back to them as the ship broke through the atmosphere with a brilliant green flash that blinded everyone. When the flash cleared, the ship was long gone.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Pan yelled, hopping onto Trunks's back. Kassie jumped onto Chase's back, and the entire group launched into the air, headed for their ship before got left too far behind. _The fate of the entire planet Earth was depending on how fast they got the ship off of the ground..._

**I don't have time to go through all of the episodes with the Para bros. so I'm skipping to the end of episode ten, with planet Luud and all that. There will be a recap at the beginning of chapter fourteen. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, even though I tweaked a few things. Credit for the lines I took from the episode goes to the owners of DB/Z/GT.**


	14. Endgame

_The group chased the rogue Dragonball snatchers into a strange planet that more or less resembled a chunk of grey Swiss cheese, cut into an oblong shape. Once there, the Dragonball snatchers, revealed to be the Para brothers of Planet Luud. Leaving our heroes at the mercy of the worms that inhabited the strange planet, the Para brothers returned the stolen Dragonball to their home planet and then returned to the planet to claim the other Dragonball that our heroes acquired. After distracting them by very nearly feeding Kassie to several of the worms, they raided their ship, only to find that the four star ball wasn't on board, but on someone's person. They attacked the vulnerable group with a strange dance attack that forced all them, even Giru, to dance along to their odd little tune. Pan foiled their plot with her impersonation skills; breaking the stereos by mimicking the high pitched call of the blue whale. Now, after subduing the Para brothers, they search the ship; in vain, for the lost Dragonball..._

"I've got nothing over here." Pan sighed, glancing back at the others. "Nothing here, either." Kassie replied. "We're not going to find anything in this junk. Let's just get out of here and wait until they wake up." Trunks pushed away from the console and left the ship. "What's that blinking light on the console?" Kassie asked. Chase and Pan made their way over to the bright red light and found a screen with a readout on it. "Giru, we can't understand this language. Can you read it?" Chase asked, glancing back at the orb-shaped bot. Giru floated over and checked out the screen, "Destination: Planet Luud. Takeoff: imminent." Pan frowned, "_Imminent_?" The hatch slammed shut and the three teens looked at each other worriedly. The very bowels of the ship rumbled to life. Pan rushed to the window and beat against the glass, trying to get Trunk's or her grandfather's attention. The ship's engines began to blaze, and the teens were thrown to the ground as the ship took off at breakneck speed, headed for planet Luud...

*Landing on Luud*

"According to this hunk of metal," Pan said tersely, reading the radar on Giru's back, "the dragon ball is here. Of course! The Para brothers must've dropped it off here before going to that stupid worm planet and making us dance to that atrocious music." Kassie giggled at her enraged mumblings and glanced at Chase, "is she always like this?" He shrugged, "depends on her mood," smiling charmingly at her, "What do you say we get this Dragonball and get the hell out of dodge. Hopefully, Grampa and Trunks know where we are."

Kassie grabbed his hand, and his eyes widened at her bold action. She blushed and turned her gaze downwards, slightly embarrassed. She felt a small kiss on her temple and felt her heart begin to race as they followed the irritated Pan to wherever the Dragonball lay. Along the way, Giru began to trill, "Danger ahead! Danger ahead!" Pan dropped him and took a look around, "What is that, some sort of shrine?" Chase shrugged and grabbed his twin's arm, "Let Giru stay out here if he wants. We'll go in and get the ball." She nodded and carefully eased herself into the air. Chase picked Kassie up, and the three teens made their way down and into the shrine. They came to an ornate gold door with a lock on it.

"Hmph, guess they don't want any interruptions on their ceremony." Pan said softly, and then pointed at the top of the door, "Let's slip in through those holes." Chase nodded and began flying again, up to the air holes, and carefully slipped through.

"What on Dende's earth..." Pan breathed. Within the locked door were hundreds of strange look statues. All of them depicted the same fat creature with two sets of arms, the bottom set holding a large pot, while the top set were raised to the sky. "That's all kinds of creepy. Look, there's an opening down there." Kassie pointed at a crack in the wall, and the teens rushed towards it, more than ready to escape the strange statues. Once at the opening, Pan peeked out, trying to figure out what was going on. She spotted a red pillow on a blue pedestal and beamed, "There's our Dragonball!" two large swords closed in front of the young mermaid, halting her. She squealed in surprise, and Chase jerked her behind him, immediately falling into a fighting stance. Kassie grabbed onto Pan's arm, staring at the two guards fearfully. "You kids aren't going _anywhere_."

*Meanwhile*

Trunks quickly brought the ship in for a landing and clambered out of the ship, spreading his senses out to find Pan, Kassie, and Chase. He could feel the elevation in Pan and Chase's ki, and deduced that they were fighting an enemy. "Goku, come on!" He turned to watch Goku lead their prisoners from the ship with a rope. Suddenly, Giru came in for a rough landing, chirruping loudly about Pan and Chase. ""What about them, Giru?" Trunks demanded of the hysterical robot, rage growing in his being. If anyone touched a _hair_ on his Panny's head, he would kill them, no question about it. _No one_ touched his Panny without retribution. "Pan, Kassie, and Chase in danger!" Giru squeaked, flailing his arms. "Where are they, Giru?" _Whoever you are,_ he rationed mentally; _I will kill you for hurting my Pan_.

*inside the shrine*

Pan and Chase easily dispatched the two guards, but, in doing so, drew the attention of the crowd and Cardinal Muchi Muchi. Chase and Pan landed neatly before him, but it was _Kassie_ who stepped forward to lash out with her tongue, "Didn't anyone teach you not to steal other people's things?" Chase's eyes widened at the rage in her voice, and he moved to hold her back, "Kassie-" she shook him off, "No! We worked too hard to get that damned ball, just for him to not get off easy! You should be ashamed!"

To her surprise, the Cardinal began to laugh, and Pan's temper flared, "I don't see _anything_ funny about a grown man stealing from children." He leered at her, "I know who you three are; and children? Hardly," he gestured to her figure, and she blushed angrily, "pervert!" Chase sighed; he couldn't calm both of them, but he _could_ get on the Cardinal's ass for blatantly checking his sister out, "I'd keep my eyes to myself, old man. She's at least three times younger than you, after all."

"Why don't you cough up the other Dragonball in your possession before I start to get angry?" The Cardinal growled, starting towards them. This time, Kassie and Pan readily moved behind Chase as they began to back away from the hulking man. "We don't have another Dragonball." Chase tried to say smoothly, but the tremble was easily deciphered. "I know you're lying, boy, so stop your foolish lying and hand over the four star Dragonball." His grip on his whip tightened, and Pan's attention was drawn to a familiar ki, "Trunks and Grampa are coming." She glared at Muchi Muchi, "Who do you think you are? We don't answer to you!"

"I am the famous Cardinal Muchi Muchi, servant to the great deity of destruction, Lord Luud. He will be resurrected by the faith of his followers and your precious dragon balls. Once he awakens, the non-believers will be destroyed, and we, the believers, will rule the universe." He turned to face Luud, a deep, evil laugh rumbling from his throat, "Now, hand over the ball- where'd they go!"

"Hey, word of advice, don't babble about your post-universal domination plans when you're trying to get all of the things you need to achieve it." Pan laughed, shaking the Dragonball at him from her perch on the ledge by the door where they'd originally entered. Chase stood beside her, a giggling Kassie on his back. "Tata!" They turned to flee, and the Cardinal yelled, "You're not going anywhere!" Something in his voice made the teens freeze and Pan turned around, eyeing the now glowing statue of Luud warily. His left eye began to glow, and, to their surprise, it fired a bright yellow beam that engulfed them easily. Pan cried out in shock and pain as weird changes began to happen in her body. She dropped the Dragonball, and a gust of smoke surrounded the group.

The Dragonball and three small dolls landed at the Cardinal's feet. One was a male, with spiky black hair and lilac eyes, the other two were female, one with brown hair and pale blue eyes, the other with the same black hair and lilac eyes as the male doll. Muchi Muchi laughed as he picked all of them up, "Looks like they didn't have the Dragonball. Oh well, Luud will benefit from this sacrifice." As he turned to begin the process of sacrificing the three dolls, the roof exploded inwards, causing him to drop the dolls in shock. They fell to the base of the stairs, disoriented by their sudden transformation.

'_Oh my... What just happened?_' Pan thought, '_I_ _can't move my body!_' Chase had landed on his side, facing Pan and Kassie, '_You_ _guys okay?_' Kassie groaned, '_I feel weird..._' Chase was filled with worry for her, '_You_ _can't move your body either?_' She tried to move, with no avail, '_No,_ _I can't._' Pan growled, '_We've_ _been turned into dolls! That's why we can't move!_'

"Where. _Is. Pan!?_" Trunks growled, landing before the Cardinal with a scary scowl on his face. All three of the younger crew members' ki's had gone missing just moments before he and Goku had burst in the room. With horror, he watched as Muchi Muchi sacrificed the Para brothers to the strange, creepy statue.

"They were on your side, so why would you sacrifice them to that creepy statue?!" Goku yelled, disgusted. "I did them a favor by fusing them with Lord Luud. They completed their purpose by bringing you saiyans to me, now, where is the Dragonball?" Trunks rolled his eyes, "Like hell we're giving it to you, now give us back our Dragonball!" a yellow beam shot from Luud's eyes, and the saiyan Prince and Goku were forced to dodge, flying high in the air. _Pan_, Trunks wondered; _did he sacrifice you and the others to that thing_?

'_Look, Giru's coming!_' Pan cried, watching the robot come running in their direction. '_Great, maybe he'll be able to help us_!' Kassie thought back. To their disappointment, Giru stepped on Pan's face in his haste to escape. '_Stupid hunk of metal!_' Pan mentally shrieked, '_He'd better find a place to hide when I turn back to normal, because I'm going to rip him apart!_' the robot froze and turned back to kneel beside Pan, "signs of life presence. Pan?" Pan could've jumped for joy, had she not been a doll at that moment, '_Yes, Giru, it's me, Pan. Help us, please!_' Giru began gathering them up for departure when a shadow fell across them. '_What's that?_' Kassie thought worriedly. Suddenly, a shiny gold boot lashed out, sending Giru flying across the room. Pan whimpered as they were dropped on the cold, stone floor as a result, at the mercy of this odd shadow.

At that moment, a set of large, gloved hands scooped them up and they found themselves staring into the face of a peculiar alien. '_Dude, what's up with his nose?_' Chase asked no one in particular. '_Forget_ _that, why is he so fascinated by us? Isn't he a bit old to be playing with dolls?_' Pan huffed indignantly as he fingered her clothing, '_he's_ _touching me!_' Kassie whimpered as he moved on to her, cursing herself for wearing the shorts she had on. '_Relax, Kas._' Pan warned, '_you_ _too, Chase._' Chase snarled, '_how_ _can_ _I when he's molesting my helpless girlfriend._' Kassie felt joy bubbling up in her heart at his words, '_oh, Chase._' He yearned to touch her, '_it'll be okay, Kas. We'll get out of this._' Pan sighed mentally. She'd never wanted Trunks so badly. '_Anything to get away from this creep_,' she added silently. '_Trunks please hurry._'

*Meanwhile*

Trunks' jaw fell in shock as the whip the guy they'd been fighting began to _talk_ to them as if it were an everyday thing. He'd just seen the guy _explode_ for crying out loud, and now his _whip_ was speaking in his voice? Suddenly, the whip began to morph into something more, and Goku screwed his face up in disgust, "What are you?" The creature smirked, "You may call me Muchi Muchi. I am Lord Luud's right hand." Trunks steeled himself and got into a stance. As soon as they killed this thing, he was going to find Pan, and they were going to get out of here with the Dragonball. Above them, the strange alien who'd picked up Pan, Kassie, and Chase was standing at a balcony, watching them with a curious eye. His gaze trailed down to the dolls in his grip, and a small smile lit his features, full of hidden intentions...

**A little short, but I didn't have much time to work on this during this week. They'll probably be off of Planet Luud by the next chapter, and headed to Rudeeze. Don't worry, though, I have some **_**plans**_** for Dolltaki that involve a certain saiyan prince. He's not going to be too happy when he finds out what happened to his Panny, after all. Stay tuned for more action! SukiChan12 ^-^**


	15. Endgame (part 2)

**Chapter fifteen, enjoy!**

*On Earth*

"I wonder how the kids are doing." Videl said softly, glancing up at her husband. The couple was snuggled up on the couch in their living room, watching a movie. "I'm more worried about Pan and Kassie. They're not used to this sort of thing. To our normal lives." Gohan whispered, kissing the top of his wife's head. "This is totally off-topic, but I can't stand your little brother's girlfriend. She's just- she's so-"

"Is _slow_ the word you're looking for, Vi?" Gohan teased. Videl hit him in the chest, "I don't want to be mean... but yes, _slow_ was the word I was looking for. I've seen _rocks_ that know more about _anything_ than she does." Gohan sighed, "He could do better, yes. Are you still sore because she thought you were a guy when she came over for dinner last week?" The Satan-Son woman threw her hands up in the arm, "I have _breasts_ and a _figure_, Gohan, I just don't flaunt my assets like every other hussy you see on the streets of West City. Moreover, I have a _ponytail_ on the back of my head, and she says," Videl cleared her throat, "'_Oh, Goten, I thought you only had one brother. Is Gohan gay? I thought you said he had a wife._' The _nerve_ of some people! I could've _roundhouse kicked_ her in the _face_!"

Gohan smiled weakly, "I really didn't appreciate her calling me gay, either." His wife turned on his lap and cupped his cheeks, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead, "If it makes you feel any better," she breathed, "you can show me just how _straight_ you are..." The Son chuckled and kissed her on the lips, "How'd we go from discussing the kids to my brother's choice of women?" Videl started to shrug, and then her entire body shivered, and she sat bolt upright, turning her eyes to the roof.

"Vi?" The eldest Son asked worriedly, placing his hands on her hips to steady her. Videl looked increasingly pale, like she was going to pass out at any moment, and small shivers raced through her body. "I don't know what the hell that was," she finally said after a moment, "but _something_ is nagging at me. Something's wrong with my babies." Gohan, unsure of how to respond, began rubbing her arms soothingly. She leaned her forehead against his chin, closing her eyes and breathing slowly. No matter how hard she tried, the Satan-Son mother couldn't get rid of the harrowing feeling that something horrible was about to happen to one or both of her precious twins...

*Planet Luud*

'_I_ _can't believe this! Let my sister go!_' Chase mentally ranted at the man's back as he stood before a screen, cradling Pan in the crook of his arm as if she were some pet. He could hear her mental pleas for someone to help her; she was uncomfortable with the way he was touching her, '_Panny?_' Pan whimpered, '_oh_, _Chase, we need to find a way out of here... but how? We can't do anything, and Trunks and Grampa don't know where we are._' Chase mulled this over, trying to think of anything that would work. '_Oh_ _Dende, please stop touching me._' Pan mentally begged. His Pinter finger traced her face with the sensual gentle caress of a lover, and she felt dirty and soiled with every passing stroke. It didn't help that she could sense his... bodily reaction to her. The man was slightly aroused by this; by molesting her helpless body, and it made her want to wretch. Kassie moaned as the man turned around and scooped her up from the dais where she'd been resting alongside Chase. His thumb stroked over her breasts and Chase nearly lost it when she sobbed at this unfamiliar treatment. Emboldened by his isolation from anyone else who could see, Dolltaki repeated the action, smirking lewdly. Kassie began to cry inside, though her face was a smooth blank to the outside world. '_Chase..._' She whimpered as she was settled in the crook of his other arm. Pan was appalled by his actions, as if her swears in okeanago weren't enough of a sign. '_Trunks, Grampa, we need you.._.'

At that moment, a servant ran up to the small shrine where Dolltaki resided, ready with news for his leader. "Master, two hooligans have crashed into our ceremony and are tearing up the place! Cardinal Muchi Muchi can't even defend himself! It's- it's-"

"Embarrassing, you can say it, but you needn't fear any longer. Luud has blessed me with a vision, telling me that his return will soon be upon us. Gather all the believers in the hall so that I may share this oracle with them." The servant left then, and Dolltaki put Pan and Kassie in his pockets for safekeeping. He then conjured up a strange device, an evil laugh building his throat. '_Fools_,' he thought to himself, '_you're only hastening your demise!'_

*meanwhile*

'_I_ _don't have time for this! We need to find Pan and the others and get out of here!_' Trunks powered up to SSJ and crushed the pile of rocks Muchi was trying to crush him with. He could sense Goku outside of the shrine, fighting the monster, and went to help, grumbling angrily to himself. He had to know where Pan was, and if she was alright. '_Panny, I'll find you; don't worry... where ever you are..._'

*with Dolltaki*

"I made your rooms just like you like them, girls." Dolltaki grinned and laid Pan and Kassie on their beds, "I've heard some dreadful things about the two of you... but you're so adorable I just forgot all about them," he gushed, picking up Pan to nuzzle her cheek. She made her disgust for him and his actions known in her mind. "I have a weakness for dolls of adorable little girls such as yourself," she felt his gaze shift to her chest and began cursing him, "you have more assets than most, I'm afraid... but you're still utterly adorable to me!"

Pan wanted to cry, '_please_,' she wailed in her mind, '_just_ _put me down and walk away!_' Dolltaki spoke again, "your clothes are atrocious! Let me get the wardrobe for the both of you. My, who would dress anyone this way?" Kassie and Pan were laid on a chair while Dolltaki fished out the small armoire where he kept his collection of doll clothes. "I have these," he held up a small shirt, "but I'm afraid you'll need something bigger to hold your... erm... _assets_. Let's get these shirts off first."

Pan began to telepathically shriek for Trunks, Chase and her Grandfather as he began working her blue shirt over her head. His eyes popped wide as he took in her chest, and Pan began sealing herself off, unable to take this obscene torture and harassment any longer. She forced her mind to shut down as her shirt was worked over her head... and then the screen bleeped, distracting the monster. Her shirt was pulled back down, and Pan slowly returned the surface, her mind in disarray from the molestation she'd endured. Kassie soothed her mentally, trying to allay her grief as Dolltaki took in the screen.

*With the others*

Trunks jumped as Pan's voice lanced through his head, full of anguish and need. '_TRUNKS, PLEASE!_' He froze and took a hard hit to the face. Ignoring the blow, he began searching for her mind, '_Pan?!_' There was no response on her end, and his rage began to boil once more. _I'm going to kill whoever is hurting you, Pan. I swear to you._

*Dolltaki*

Dolltaki stood on a balcony overlooking the main hall where Luud's loyal followers had gathered. In his pockets was Pan; who refused to speak to anyone, Kassie, and Chase; who was fuming, unable to preserve his sister's honor. '_Panny, are you alright_?' Kassie asked timidly, yearning to give her friend a big hug. Pan didn't answer; too lost in the strangeness of her situation. _Never_ in her life had anyone touched her in that manner, not even Trunks. Her thoughts drifted to Nevus, and she mentally shuddered at _that_ memory. '_Panny, please, answer me_.' Kassie tried her best to coax her friend into talking. '_Kas, let it go, she'll talk when she's ready to_.' Chase was slowly calming down, '_Maybe we should listen to what he's saying_.' Their attention was drawn upwards to where Dolltaki was now pointing the odd blue device he'd conjured at the statue of Luud; the very same statue that landed them in this situation.

"Hey, he's using a remote!"

"A remote?! Then Luud's a machine!"

"A _machine_! Oh no!"

The trio heard the whirring of the machine firing up, and then Dolltaki's maniacal laughter ringing out as the whirring grew to a steady hum. '_Oh my god, he's a monster_.' Kassie sobbed, '_to sacrifice your own people... it's so- so barbaric_!' Chase remained silent, unsure of how to comfort her.

"You've caught me red-handed, I'm afraid, but it doesn't matter. The molecular energy from your bodies will be more than enough to raise Luud! Sorry, bye bye!"

There was a sort of '_zing_' noise as the statue fired two yellow beams into the crowd, the light snaking through the scattering people. There was a muted whimper from Pan as the screams died off; their owners morphed into dolls. All the while, Dolltaki laughed wildly as his people were decimated, their energy adding on to what he already had stored within the monstrous statue.

The meter alongside the statue bubbled up to fill the second to last bubble, leaving the very top one empty. Dolltaki growled, "They were utterly worthless," he shook his head, "no matter. I'll have enough energy once I capture those two brats fighting Cardinal Muchi Muchi." He reached down into his pocket and pulled Pan out, smiling sickeningly at her, "What do you say we play house while we wait? Sounds fun doesn't it, my dear Panny?" the cretin nuzzled her cheek against his own. After having his snuggle, he tucked her back into his pocket and left the balcony, chuckling softly to himself.

*With Trunks and Goku*

"Thank goodness that's over, now we need to find the others and get out of here." Trunks muttered, examining Luud's altar closely. A small object lying at the foot of the sacrificial cauldron caught his eye, and he stooped to pick it up, frowning, "A doll?"

"Hey, Trunks! I found the Dragonball!" Goku crowed, waving the six star ball at him from his perch on a pedestal. Trunks chuckled lightly, "That was easy. You'd think they'd hide it a little-" a voice cut through the air, cutting their camaraderie banter short.

"Put the Dragonball down and step away from the pedestal!" Dolltaki called out, and something in his voice just made Trunks want to rip his jaw out of his face and shove it down his throat. Mentally preparing himself for another fight, he situated his body in a subtle defensive stance, ready to block any surprise attacks that came his way. His eyes shot up to the balcony, where a strange man with blonde hair and teal eyes stood. _Where the hell is his nose_? Trunks asked in his head, _and what's that in his hand? Another doll?_ Goku rolled his eyes, "As if. Who are you?" the man smirked, and Trunks felt an urge to wipe it from his face. "I am Master Dolltaki, leader of the Luud Order, at your service." Trunks frowned, "The... _order_?"

"That's right. You wouldn't happen to be looking for two little girls and a little boy by the names of Pan, Kassie, and Chase, would you? Because they're right here, and they want to say hello." Horror and revulsion ripped through the saiyan Prince as the madman held up a little doll replica of _his _Panny in one hand, and two little dolls of Chase and Kassie in the other. "That's Pan and Chase?!" Goku asked, bewildered, falling backwards as the shock hit him. The Dragonball fell from his hand to rest on the cushioned pedestal once more.

"Pan, are you okay?" Trunks forced his mounting rage down, remembering that Pan needed his help, and checked on her well-being. The cheery little smile on her doll face remained, and Trunks realized that she probably wasn't able to speak. Again, his rage flared, but he pushed it down, trying to figure out a way to communicate with her. _I heard her in my head earlier_, he rationed, _I know I did. So why won't she use telepathy to respond_?

Pan wanted to cry tears of joy as she laid eyes on her boyfriend and grandfather for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She forced her emotions to calm down and tried to contact her boyfriend mentally, '_Trunks?_' She waited in silence for a moment, and then his voice filled her mind, '_Panny, are you alright_?' she gasped in relief; he could hear her, '_Oh, Trunks, no! Please, get us out of here!_' Trunks nodded unperceptively, and she felt hope bubbling up in her heart.

"Once I free Luud, the four of us will live together forever and ever. It'll be beautiful." Dolltaki's eyes began to glimmer as he pictured the future he'd have with his three new favorite dolls. Goku shook his head to fight off the harrowing rage growing in his heart. There was no way this nutcase was going to keep his grandchildren forever. "Over my dead body!" he spat, sinking fluidly into a stance. "Oh, well that can be arranged. Either you die or spend the rest of eternity inside of Lord Luud!" he activated his remote, and Trunks and Goku backed away slowly, low growls rumbling in their chests.

"Arise, Luud! Arise and fulfill your destiny!" Dolltaki screamed as the statue's eyes began to glow a deep, sinister red. Green cracks began to lace through the hard skin of the machine beast as the energy that had been gathered was syphoned into it, bringing the monster to life.

**Alright, I will definitely be finishing off planet Luud in chapter sixteen. Sorry if it reads really choppy; it's hard to keep the same events in the episode while putting a new spin on it. I'm trying to keep the focus on Pan here, but the story needs more substantiality than that. After I do the next chapter, I'll do the desert planet, and then I'm skipping all the way to the episode where they find the boy in the abandoned space ship. There will be a recap, so don't worry. SukiChan12 ^-^**


	16. Endgame (final)

**Alright, guys, let's get this party started. I'm so done with Planet Luud at this point. The Bebi Saga is what I'm looking forward to, so things will definitely pick up the pace from here on out. My goal for this chapter is six thousand words, so bear with me!**

Pan whimpered as Dolltaki's grip on her body tightened uncomfortably, watching as the green light filled up the room. It cast an eerie shadow upon Dolltaki's face that scared her nearly as much as the fact that she couldn't hear or see Trunks anymore. The light emitting from the slowly cracking statue was too much for her eyes to handle. She wished she could cover her eyes with her hands, but they remained limp at her sides, trapped under Dolltaki's gloved grip. Kassie and Chase, also ensnared in his hold, could only hope that the other members of their group were alright.

Suddenly, there was a piercing explosion of white light that rendered most of the party's eyesight useless. Once it cleared, a strange being stood in a pile of rubble. The thing was a biomechanical hybrid, and it seemed to be less than enthused with the presence of one Son Goku and Trunks Briefs. Trunks cursed to himself, '_I don't have time for this! Panny needs me!_' his eyes shot to the balcony, where the deliriously happy leader of the Luud Order danced in circles with the three dolls in his possession. '_Dance while you can, asshole, because once I get ahold of you, I won't let go until you lose all feeling below the neck..._' The saiyan Prince vowed silently, and then reached out to Pan and Chase, '_Hang in there, we'll get through this hunk of junk in no time_.'

Pan's heart would have been thrumming wildly, had she not been a doll at this moment. '_Okay, and Trunks?_' She waited for his voice to reply, and happiness bubbled through her when he did, '_Yes, Panny?_' she loved the sound of his voice; it was always soothing to her, '_Be careful. I love you._' Pan could feel his affection and protectiveness flowing through their bond, '_I will, and I love you too, Angelfish._' She wanted to cry as his all-encompassing presence left her mind, leaving her feeling so cold and lonely. Her attention was diverted as Dolltaki spoke once more.

"Have fun, Luud, and don't wait up! I'll be in the other room, playing with my new best friends." Kassie gagged as the deranged psychopath hugged the three of them to his chest, '_He is in desperate need of living companionship_.' Chase groaned in agreement, '_Tell me about it_.' The mastermind turned on his heel and danced out of the room, his cape flapping in his wake.

"Pan!" Both Goku and Trunks tried to lunge as the madman made his exit, but the monstrous machine blocked their advance, and they were forced to watch him vanish with the younger members of their crew. "Panny... Goku, we'd better hurry. That bastard's getting away." Trunks looked to Goku urgently. The scowl painted across his face truly showed who his sire was. Goku nodded once, "Alright, let's get to it." Their minds flew a mile a minute, thinking of different strategies to bring the metal behemoth down.

*with the others*

Pan, Chase, and Kassie were seated at a small dinner table as the Dolltaki rummaged through his doll clothing for something for them to wear. As they sat there, they began to discuss their predicament, and different ways to get out of it.

'_Panny, are you alright?_' Kassie asked kindly. She was still worried about her friend after her episode earlier on, and she desperately wanted to make sure she was okay. '_I'll be okay when Trunks gets here._' Pan replied. Her incident had left her feeling vulnerable, and she needed someone to hold her and reassure her. '_So we're going to be stuck here until the others defeat that thing and blow this guy to smithereens. How do we even know there's a way to reverse this?_' He immediately regretted his words when Kassie's soft sobbing reached his mind, '_Kas, I-_' She sighed, '_No, I never considered that this might be permanent. My parents are going to kill me..._' Chase groaned as he realized his own fate, '_My parents are going to kill me for launching the ship and not protecting Pan, not to mention Aunt Bulma and maybe even Vegeta..._' Pan felt his fear and reassured him, '_They'll have to turn us back into humans first. If I know Aunt Bulma, she wouldn't stop until she found a way to reverse the transformation_.' Their attentions were diverted as Dolltaki came over and picked Kassie and Pan up.

"You two have the most lovely, luxurious hair," he breathed, "but wouldn't you like a haircut like mine? Then we'd match." Pan's rage began to flare, '_my mother would kill me if I cut that much hair off! Well, she'd kill you because you're the one who's cutting it!_' Kassie's thoughts were in line with hers, '_Your haircut isn't very flattering, you pervert!_' of course, he could not hear their protests, and even began to mimic what he _thought_ were their voices. "_Oh, Dolltaki_," he breathed in an exaggerated female voice, "_I'd love to have such a regal hairstyle._" Pan and Kassie gagged as he moved to lay them on the bed. His focus shifted to Chase, and his eyes popped wide.

"Your hair is much too wild for such a charming young man!" Kassie hissed, '_I happen to love his hair, you ass!_' Chase would've blushed if he was able, but he still managed to comment angrily, '_Touch the hair and you die. I don't know how I'll manage it, but you will die._' Pan groaned, '_This no-talking thing is so annoying! Why couldn't we have a string in our backs so we could scream at him?!_'

'_Uh, Pan? That sounds kind of painful._' Kassie said, cringing at the thought of a string being yanked out of her back. Pan growled, '_I just want to tell him how I really feel about this crap, and my voice does __**not**__sound like that! I'm pretty sure no woman's voice sounds like that!_' Chase winced, '_I think she's going into a Grandma Chichi rage_.' Pan ignored him, still ranting as Dolltaki picked up her twin and began to comb his unruly locks.

**(A/N: Chase has Gohan's high school haircut.)**

*With Luud*

"This toy is harder to break than I thought it would be," Goku said, shaking the pain from the ineffective punch out of his hand, "It must have one of those warranty things on it, like most of the stuff at home!" Trunks rolled his eyes as Goku began to chortle; _Chichi has a warranty on everything so it can be replaced when you break it_. He quickly dodged an errant stomp from the machine and narrowed his eyes in concentration. A faint yellow glow surrounded his hands, growing brighter with every passing second. Before he could fire his barely formed blast, Goku came hurtling towards him, and their foreheads collided at full throttle, leaving them both dizzy and in pain. Before either of them could recover, a large hand came sweeping through the air, sending them both crashing down into the concrete.

"Tell me that didn't just happen." Trunks hissed, pushing Goku's small body off of his, but once more, they were blindsided by Luud's foot coming down on them. While it wasn't too damaging, they were left with bruises and other wounds. "There's just no getting past this thing is there?" Goku grumbled, pushing himself up. _No matter_, he vowed mentally, _I won't let anything happen to Pan or Chase._ With a sharp kiai, he hurled himself back into the battle.

*With Pan, Chase, and Kassie*

Pan cringed as Dolltaki loomed, over her, his breathing labored. In his fingers he held a pink kimono style dress, kind of like the ones her grandmother wore all the time. _Grandma..._ The madman calmed his breathing and spoke with a rough, hoarse voice, "It's time to change your clothes, my dear Panny..." Kassie cringed as Pan's telepathic pleas reached her, '_Pan..._' His gloved fingers were just millimeters from the hem of her orange top when a strangely accented voice echoed through the room. Pan heaved a sigh of relief as he pulled back, looking up at the ceiling.

"Dolltaki, are you there?" The voice asked, "Report to the communications room, immediately." The Leader of the Luud Order hurriedly gathered up his dolls and tucked them into the belt of his tunic before walking to a bookcase filled with dolls of all shapes and sizes. '_This guy needs some serious help_.' Kassie said, eyeing the case. '_Screw help,_' Pan replied, '_He needs to be checked into the nearest asylum._' Chase growled, '_He's going to die for screwing up my hair; forget a crazy house!_' His unruly black hair had been tamed into a shorter version of Dolltaki's ugly do. The three of them quieted as he reached and grabbed the head of a blonde doll and pushed it sideways, perpendicular to its original positioning.

The plain pink wall slid open, revealing a midnight blue room with strange, silvery blue bubble like fixtures floating throughout the space. At the center of the room was a raised silver platform. The only light source was a spotlight shining directly down on the platform. '_Don't tell me he's a karaoke fiend, too._' Pan whined, cringing at the thought of what his voice would sound like in stereo. '_Just kill me now_.' Chase begged no one in particular. They were surprised, however, when Dolltaki stepped into the room and knelt before the platform, as though he were waiting from some higher being to appear.

'_What's he doing_?'

'_Why are you asking? Of course we don't know!_'

'_It's a rhetorical question, stupid, I know you don't know!_'

'_Then why'd you ask if you knew we didn't know?_'

'_I'm not justifying you with an answer._'

'_Will you two shut up? Something's happening!_' Kassie screeched, silencing the sibling banter that had begun to fly back and forth. Pan, who'd been in the midst of giving him the tongue lashing from hell, settled down. Their positioning was disappointing. With the psycho kneeling, they couldn't see what was going on in front of them.

'_Damn it, why'd you have to kneel_!?' Kassie whined, and the others couldn't help but laugh at her frustrated rage. Kas rarely got angry, but when she did, it was usually hilarious. She was simply too nice to be an angry person, or to be angry period, and her attempts to do so were humorous to her friends. The psycho spoke, and they quieted so they could hear.

"It's an honor to hear from you again, Dr. Myuu, sire." Pan groaned, '_He has to do all of this to talk to his doctor? How pointless. Now, stand up so we can see, pervert!_' Chase and Kassie snickered at her, but toned it down as the weirdly accented voice-person spoke in an angry tone, "You don't have all of the dragonballs, fool; now explain your insolent failure!" Dolltaki floundered, trying to think of a plausible reply, but his '_doctor_' continued to speak, clearly enraged, "How am I supposed to rule the universe if you can't do one thing right!"

'_That's it! He's just a lackey to this Myuu person!_' Kassie supplied. The twins remained quiet, focused on any useful pieces of information that the mastermind could produce. '_We've got to stop them from finding the other dragonballs, but how? We're useless like this_.' Chase said, downtrodden. '_We'll stop them. I just know it._' Pan vowed.

"It's only a matter of time, sire! There was a minor disturbance, but I activated Luud so he could take care of it!" Pan was infuriated, '_my grandpa and Trunks are hardly minor disturbances!_' The Doctor's interest was piqued, "You actually managed to bring Luud to life?" Dolltaki nodded vigorously, "Yes, it took a while, but I finally managed to gather enough energy to raise him from his slumber!" The Doctor spoke again, this time in a snide tone, "but is he at full strength?" The leader of the Luud Order paused, and Myuu spoke again, "Show me the 'disturbance' as you call it."

Dolltaki stood up and activated the monitor switch... just in time to see his precious Luud get bowled over by a Super Saiyan Goku and Trunks. Both he and Doctor Myuu watched with bated breath as the behemoth fell to his backside, overwhelmed by the sheer power of the two Super Saiyans.

'_Way to go, guys!_' Pan cheered, more than delighted with the look of pure horror on Dolltaki's face. Served him right for thinking a hunk of metal could best the likes of her grandfather and Trunks. '_I hope he rips into you good, freak!_' Kassie yelled happily. Chase was quiet, but still happy that the guy would get his just desserts for perving on his sister and his girlfriend. To their surprise, the strange looking alien; Doctor Myuu, simply began chuckling in a sinister way that none of them liked. The action on the screen, however caught their attention.

Goku and Trunks phased in front of the behemoth's face and hit him with a sharp combination of punches and kicks that made him reel on his feet. He stumbled backwards as though dazed by the brute force behind the lightning fast strikes. The duo struck again, this time hitting him in the backs of his knees, knocking his feet out from under him, and then a third time at the shoulders, knocking him flat on his face, where he remained for an extended amount of time.

"That ought to do it," Goku said, hardly winded from the small skirmish, "Good job, Trunks." Trunks nodded once in acknowledgement, but didn't speak. His crystalline orbs were focused on the monster lying prone on the ground. "This isn't over yet." The Prince said gruffly, "There's no way he's going down this easy." Luud's fingers curled into the stone floor as he began to push himself up off of the ground, proving Trunks's words. His head did a full 180, and a yellow laser fired from his eyes in rapid succession, forcing the two of them to dodge.

Luud stood firmly on his feet, and his arms began to rotate in their sockets, slowly at first, and then faster, picking up more speed with every rotation. This continued until it was impossible to distinguish his arms as anything more than a pale yellow blur of movement. Harsh winds began to pick up within the shrine, and Goku's small body was picked up by the gusts. He cried out as he was flung across the room, into a wall. Trunks flew to his aid, "are you alright, Goku?" The small saiyan nodded once, and Trunks frowned, "Have you noticed his attacks? They're like a child's toy." Goku's eyes narrowed as he began examining the creature in a new light, "He has immense power, but he just doesn't know how to use it to his advantage."

*Communications Room*

"He's of no use at that level! He must be at full strength!" Myuu bellowed angrily. Dolltaki cowered back, pressing his face to the floor. "Who made you leader of the Luud Order?" Myuu snarled. "Y-you did, sire!" the psycho replied, frightened. "And _why_ did I make you leader?" The Doctor asked. "Because you knew I'd be able to get the people to believe, and that I was the best bet at getting into the people's heads!" Dolltaki whimpered, nearly crying into the floor. Myuu relaxed, "For the most part, you have done an excellent job. Luud is a marvel amongst mutants with his vast abilities. He was easily my greatest masterpiece... until you _ruined_ him!" Dolltaki, who'd been slowly raising his head from the floor, put his face back to the cool metal, whimpering at the blaze of his master's rage, "Sire, please!"

"Why must you disappoint me like this? I raised you as though you were my own, and this is how you repay me? By turning my invincible masterpiece into a flawed piece of trash?! Just look at that travesty of a battle!"

*In the Shrine*

Goku and Trunks simultaneously fired two powerful blasts at Luud's shoulders in an attempt to slow the spinning appendages. Goku's yell echoed through the chamber as the bright blue light flashed through the demolished shrine. He gritted his teeth in concentration, keeping his eyes down the stream of ki flowing from his hands. "Just a little more," he grunted, "he won't stand much more." The spinning of Luud's arms slowed, and he fell to his knees, at the mercy of the two powerful blasts. There was a brilliant explosion of azure light as the blasts gave way to their target. Trunks covered his eyes to shield his sight from the blast of piercing light. Once it cleared, he took a look, mentally groaning, _this thing refuses to die, it's like Dad and Goku!_ (A/N: I had to have some form of pun, because the two of them have died a lot, but still came back. Kinda like cockroaches, neh?) The Prince had to chuckle at his comparison, and dove eagerly into battle. _The sooner we kill this hunk of junk, the sooner I can kill that freak and get Panny back..._

*In the Communications Room*

Myuu's eyesight landed on the three dolls tucked into the waistband of Dolltaki's tunic, and smirked, "Those dolls in your belt... are they important to you?" Dolltaki nervous removed his three unwilling companions from his belt and held them up so the Doctor could see them better, "I'm glad you noticed, they happen to be my favorites." Myuu scoffed, "I don't care if they are your favorites. The two look-alikes have a massive amount of energy within them!" Dolltaki frowned, examining the dolls, "Really?" Myuu rolled his eyes at the infuriating denseness of his subject, "Who were they before you turned her into a doll?" The psycho took a deep breath, "The two females were Pan and Kassie, and the male is Pan's twin brother, Chase. The three of them were with the two scummy fighters, but not of their own volition." Myuu furrowed his brow, "So, they were with those two pompous warriors? Captives, you say?" Dolltaki nodded frantically, "Oh, yes, there's no way these three sweet children would willingly be with those... those _barbaric_ fools!" Pan screeched indignantly, '_Grandpa and Trunks are not barbaric fools! If anyone's a barbarian, it's you!_' Her outraged cry, of course, went unnoticed, and Myuu looked perplexed, "You should fuse them with Luud, clearly he'll need it to defeat those punks."

"No, not my dear friends!" The Luud Leader cried, hugging the dolls to his chest. Myuu's rage flared once more, "You _dare_ defy me? After all the disappointment you've given me?" Dolltaki cradled the dolls lovingly, "They are my friends, sire; I couldn't give them up in such a way." Kassie reeled, '_I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we're safer with the pervert._' Chase was in acquiescence, '_Staying with him would keep that freaky machine from reaching full power and overpowering the others. Either way, it's not like we're being given a choice here._' Pan remained silent, waiting with bated breath for something to happen.

"Put those dolls in with the others or be punished!" Myuu roared, tired of being patient. "No, not my friends!" Dolltaki fell to the ground, curling his body around the three dolls protectively. "Fine, you want to stay with your precious dollies so badly then I'll let Luud absorb you as well!" The Doctor began furiously working controls on his side of the link, grumbling at the insolence of his follower. A bright white light formed in the air above him, and then struck him. His cry echoed through the chamber as the light enveloped him. The three young dolls found themselves on the cool metal floor; Dolltaki's doll body was lying across their bodies.

'_Oh my Dende... we're screwed._' Kassie said softly. '_We've been screwed since we decided to come after the Dragonball in the first place. We should've waited for Trunks and Grandpa to catch up._' Chase grumbled, watching the monitor go black. A strong gust swept through the room, and Pan whimpered, '_I think we're about to be absorbed..._' their silent cries for help were unanswered as the wind swept them up, pushing them along to some unknown destination...

*In the Shrine*

Trunks and Goku lunged out of the pathway on Luud's fists as they came down, smashing through the already demolished stone floor, making the damage far worse. Trunks glowered at the machine from his position in the air above it. Suddenly, a square of ceiling opened up, allowing a draft of air to come rushing in, bringing with it, four dolls. Luud's head turned as if he watching the four figurines fall from the ceiling, and Trunks gasped as his sight caught onto the dolls, "Pan!" The four dolls landed in the sacrificial cauldron, much to Trunks' horror. He'd seen what had happened to the Para brothers. "_PAN_!" His roar echoed through the chamber as green lightning began to warp around the cauldron, syphoning the fresh energy into Luud. Crimson bolts of electricity lashed around Luud's limbs, welcoming the new energy.

'_Oh Dende, what's happening to us?_' Kassie asked weakly. '_We're being absorbed into that freak of nature, Kassie._' Pan replied, feeling quite weak herself. She didn't like the sensation of growing weaker; it was worse than being a doll, even. '_When does it end_?' Chase asked. '_Probably when we're dead._' Pan said sadly, '_Trunks..._' there was a strange ripping sensation that was just on the wrong side of painful, and then the foursome felt their very essence being lifted from their bodies, traveling towards the gaping maw that was Luud's open mouth.

Trunks and Goku flew over to the sacrificial cauldron, frantically looking for the dolls that had just been deposited in the cauldron. "Kassie?" Goku called, "Chase?" Trunks clenched his jaw and glanced over at the machine... just in time to see it release a gust of air from his mouth, sending him and Goku sprawling across the room. The energy meter alongside the cauldron glowed bright green, and white light flashed at the very top. The green liquid within the meter reached the very top. Trunks, who'd righted himself, shot a harsh glare at Luud, whose power level had skyrocketed. _It's time to break this toy_... Goku bit his lip and clenched his fists, _no more playing around. Luud's going down_.

**(A/N: I was about to stop here, at the end of episode thirteen, but I promised you guys I'd finish planet Luud in this chapter, so everything from this point on is from episode fourteen.)**

Suddenly, the gigantic machine reared back and fired two pulsing red beams from his eyes. They shot past the bewildered duo, and took out an entire wall of the shrine. A brilliant explosion of flaming orange light overtook the surrounding area outside the shrine. Goku and Trunks watched the explosion die down, shocked still by the surprising strength behind the attack. "He... he wasn't that strong before Pan and the others fell in that cauldron..." Goku murmured, barely able to speak. "He absorbed their energy. Chase is a Super Saiyan, last I checked..." Trunks felt numb. _If this thing just absorbed the energy of a Super Saiyan, plus Pan's energy, and then stacking that on top the rest of the energy already inside of it... then how strong is this thing now?_ The frazzled saiyan Prince and third class dodged a stomp, and then were forced to flee from an errant backhand.

"Goku, we have to think of a plan, now!"

*Inside Luud*

_Dolltaki squealed happily as he twirled round and round, Pan clenched in his grip. "Oh my dear Panny, let's run away together!" His lips loomed towards her face, pursed out obscenely to seek a kiss from the unresponsive doll. Pan began to scream in her head as the distance shortened, until his disgusting lips were the only things in her sights..._

"_AUGH!_" Pan snapped awake, slapping at the offending lips, which were scalded into her memory. "Pan!" Kassie's voice calmed her thrashing, and she took a moment to survey her surroundings. _Wait,_ she thought, _if I can move my head _- "I'm not a doll anymore!" she squealed, doing a little jig. Chase chuckled, watching his twin do her thing. Her dancing tapered off, and she looked around, "Where are we?" The inhabitants of Planet Luud were floating around them, apparently sleeping. Everything was a dense, purplish black, and they were floating, meaning there was no floor, ceiling or walls.

"I don't know..." Chase muttered, wrapping an arm around Kassie's waist. She leaned into his side, "Mmmm, I missed touching you." He snickered and spun her around so they were chest to chest, "and I missed this," and promptly slammed his lips down onto hers. She moaned happily and reciprocated in kind by throwing her arms around his neck.

Pan watched the romantic embrace with mixed feeling of both joy and envy. _I should be happy that they've reconciled, but watching them just makes me miss Trunks more..._She heaved a sigh and looked away... straight at the advancing Dolltaki, who had his lips pursed to kiss her like in her dream. Pan screamed in horror as their distance closed, but then promptly threw a clean right hook that sent the psycho sprawling backwards. Chase moved in front of the girls protectively, but Pan was much too angry. She lunged past him, snagged Dolltaki's collar in one hand, and started pounding his face in with the other, shrieking incoherently as Chase and Kassie, tried, unsuccessfully, to pull her away.

The noise Pan was making awakened the other people inside of Luud, and they watched the spectacle with wide eyes. Dolltaki finally escaped her and screamed, "My sweet Panny would never strike me like that! You're just a ruffian- a barbarian!" Pan pulled back, shocked. _I'm a barbarian? Has he seen a mirror lately?!_ Chase responded angrily, "watch who you're calling a barbarian, asshole." Kassie huffed in agreement, "If I knew how, I'd be kicking your ass, too." Chase shot her a quick wink, "I'll teach you when we get home." She beamed, satisfied with this arrangement.

Pan rolled her eyes and smoothed her clothing, "the matter at _hand_, please? I; for one, would like to come to a decision on what we should do to this guy," she pointed at Dolltaki, who cringed back as if expecting a punch to come his way. "I suggest scaling him alive." Chase frowned at his sister's words, "don't you mean _skinning_ him alive, Pan?" Pan shot him an irritated glance, "I'm a mermaid, Chase; I have been for most of my life, and you expect me not to use the terms?" He shrugged and chuckled at her, "No, I just expect you to speak plain Japanese so everyone can understand you." She blushed and grinned sheepishly, "Sorry." Kassie giggled and looked around, "everyone's waking up..."

"I can't believe how much you three have changed in the short time we've been apart!" Dolltaki wailed, dragging their attention back to him. They scowled at him, "Oh, shut up." Pan lunged at him again and started pounding her fists against the top of his head, screaming incoherently. Chase and Kassie decided to let her have at it; instead watching the other inhabitants of Luud awaken... but they had to turn back when she started charging a ki blast for him.

"Pan, wait!" Before Chase could reach her, she fired. Lucky for Dolltaki, she hadn't perfected her aim, but any higher, she'd have taken his family jewels off. The blast started to ricochet in the dark space, forcing people to dodge the yellow beam. "You ignorant child, look at what you've done!" Dolltaki screamed, and Chase shot a sharp look at him and gave a low, threatening growl. He'd seen his father do the same thing when men looked at his mother and sister the wrong way. Before anyone could react, however, Pan's ki blast made a full circle and hit its intended mark... Dolltaki's face. Pan's jaw fell as smoke billowed around his face, shocked that her blast actually hit him. She _sucked_ when it came to using ki. Kassie was giggling softly, and the crowd was shaking off their sleepy stupor, and rage was beginning to come out, directed towards Dolltaki.

"_HAHAHA_!" Pan jumped as Chase began laughing, and then she took in Dolltaki's new look _after_ the blast. His once primly done blonde hair was puffed out in an afro, and his face was coated in soot. Despite herself, she began to snigger, and Kassie snorted. Chase and Pan looked at her in shock, surprised the by the uncouth sound coming from her usually secluded, lady-like self. She blushed, "What?" Pan and Chase shared a glance... and promptly fell out in raucous laughter, much to Kassie's embarrassment.

"Hey, it's that Dolltaki dude!"

"He's the one who landed us in here!"

"Let's get him!"

The inhabitants of the planet lunged at him, and the three teens froze, watching them go at it. "HEY," Pan wailed, "I want to be the one to kill him!" Chase shrugged, "I guess we have to get in line." They stopped their discussion when Dolltaki wailed, "No! If you kill me then you'll never get out of here!" That got their attention. "Hey, stop!" Chase growled, "Let him go!" the crowd reluctantly released him, and Dolltaki smirked, "Yes, if you want to get out of here, you'll have to let me live." Pan rolled her eyes, "How about you spill so we can dispose of you?" The crowd began grumbling angrily, steadily getting louder with each passing moment.

"_CALM DOWN_!" Pan jumped and glanced at Kassie, "when did you get so _loud_?" Kassie giggled sheepishly, "Whenever the need calls for it," and shrugged. Chase floated over to Dolltaki, "spill it, or we'll sic them on you." Pan raised a fist in the air, "Who wants out of here?!" A few people raised their fists, mumbling insecurely. Pan was _not_ pleased. "That was _pathetic_! _Who_ wants _out of here_!?" This time, everyone raised their fists, yelling enthusiastically. "Good, just leave everything to us! We'll get you out!" the cheering increased, and she turned to Chase, "now... how are we going to do this?"

"You mean... you don't have a _plan_?" Pan blushed, nodding sheepishly, and he groaned, smacking his face with his hand. _What the HFIL do we do, now?_

*Outside of Luud*

Trunks and Goku were flung roughly as they caught the aftermath of an eyebeam blast from Luud. The monster turned and fired a few times more. Outside of the shrine, multiple mushroom clouds of reddish orange light exploded, overflowing the area with the intensity of the light. Trunks growled, "He's so strong, how are we going to beat him now?"

*Inside of Luud*

"What are you waiting for, freak? Spill the beans." Pan snarled, crossing her arms across her chest. Dolltaki looked torn, staring at the menacing inhabitants of Luud as he knelt before his former doll friends. He heaved a sigh and whispered, "I'm sorry, but I can't bring myself to tell you."

"Oh?" Pan hissed, raising a brow. Chase flinched at the resemblance she shared with their mother. She usually made that face when he tried to pawn the dishes off on Pan, knowing full well she couldn't wash them without popping a tail. "Is that so? You just can't tell us?" she looked at the Para brothers, "Do your _worst_." The trio grinned and started up their music. "What are you going to do to me?" Dolltaki whimpered. "Oh... you'll see." Kassie said evilly, and Pan looked at her in surprise, "You are showing an _entirely_ different side today, Kas." Kassie flushed, annoyed, "I want to get out of here, and he's being a stubborn ass!"

"No! I can't stop!" Dolltaki wailed, struggling to keep up with the movements," Left, left, right, right, left, left!" Pan dissolved into giggles, enjoying his suffering immensely. It was so much more hilarious when you weren't on the receiving end of the Parra brothers' power. Chase frowned; _when did Pan become so evil? I guess she really wants to get back to Trunks. I know I'd want to get to Kassie if she was outside while I was stuck in here..._ He smirked lightly, _watching the perverted psycho suffer isn't such a bad plus either._

*On Earth*

"Videl, are you okay?" Gohan asked as he placed his dishes in the sink. "Oh, I'm fine, love. I just get the feeling that the kids are having fun, wherever they are." Videl had been smiling all evening, and Gohan was starting to worry about her. "Oh... well that's alright, I guess." He mumbled, walking over to her. Videl giggled and hugged him, "It's much better than feeling dread all the time." The couple embraced, and Videl smiled, _I'm glad you two are alright... wherever you are._

*Inside Luud*

"What's your name?" Don Para asked the dancing Dolltaki. "Dolltaki." He managed to reply, his mouth stuck in a wide grin. "What's your favorite thing to do?" Son Para inquired. "Playing with pretty dolls." Son Para smirked, "How do we get out of here?" Dolltaki, still beaming, pointed upwards, "that red cell up-" the music stopped, and he froze, an expression of dread painted on his face. Everyone looked up expectantly.

"Thanks for snitching on yourself, dumbass." Chase snorted, examining the pulsing red cell. It looked kind of like a red eyeball. "So, that's it, huh?" Dolltaki nodded shamefully, "Dr. Myuu took a single cell from his own body to begin the mutation that created Luud," he took a deep breath as though reminiscing, "Luud's entire design is based around that one cell. If it is destroyed, then Luud will collapse, and all of us will be freed-"

"and you will _die_." Pan cut in harshly, "because there's no way I'll sit by and let a freak like you roam the universe and do the things you did to us to some other innocent being. How do we destroy it? Is there a particular way to do it?" Dolltaki smirked, "there's only one way. Two simultaneous blasts from the inside and outside. Of course, you can't communicate with anyone outside-"

"Wrong, buster. We can communicate telepathically with Trunks and Grandpa." Chase said haughtily, turning to face the view finder that allowed them to see outside. Luud had Goku in his, grip, and it seemed he was having a hard time getting free. Chase frowned, _where the heck is Trunks?_ Pan growled, irritated, and fired a blast at the cell in the hopes that it would help somehow. The blast exploded against the red orb, knocking Luud silly for a few seconds. That was more than enough to allow Goku a chance to get away from him. "There. Now we're on the right track." She breathed.

"There, I helped you, now can you please not hurt me!?" Dolltaki wailed. The Planet Luud inhabitants, annoyed with his incessant whining, lunged viciously. They were ignored as Pan began to focus on linking her mind with her grandfather's. she had a better chance of establishing a link because of her magic abilities. _Come on, please work..._ She bit her lip and continued to focus her magical energies. She felt the warmth of blood running from her nose but ignored it. Her nose always bled when she used too much magic at once. Chase winced and moved to wipe her nose for her. She didn't notice, too focused on the task at hand.

*Outside of Luud*

Trunks dodged yet another laser beam from Luud, leaping high into the air to avoid the destructive beam. Goku dodged and weaved from wayward arm sweeps, trying his best to avoid getting hit. It seemed like Luud was moving faster. Suddenly, a familiar voice burst into his head, making him freeze in place.

'_Grandpa?_' Pan asked, sounding incredibly weak. '_Pan...PAN?! Where are you? What's wrong?_' He called, and then cried aloud as a sweep of Luud's hand slammed him down several meters into the concrete. '_Grandpa, his heart... you've got to hit Luud's heart at the same time as Chase... try to focus, because I can only do this so many more times. My energy's draining pretty fast._' Goku freed himself from the concrete, '_Panny, maybe you should let Chase do the link-_' Pan cut in, and her breathing was labored, even in her telepathic voice, '_My magic makes the link stronger because something about Luud is interfering with his ability to link with you and Trunks. Just fire at his heart on three._' The feeling of her in his mind wavered, and he got a little bit more worried, '_Panny, are you still there?_' at first she didn't respond, and then he heard her small voice, '_Yeah. Chase is going to count..._'

'_Gramps, you ready?_' Chase's voice came into his mind then, and Luud began to falter, as Chase had fired a few blasts at the cell to throw his focus off. '_Ready._' Goku began to charge a blast. '_One._' Chase began, charging his own blast, '_two... three!_' Chase released his blast just a few milliseconds before Goku released his. They waited for the smoke to clear, and Pan spoke to him, '_No dice. You were off just a bit, Grandpa._' Goku groaned, annoyed. He knew Pan was getting weaker, and they had to get this done so she could get a senzu bean.

'_Let's go again, Gramps. On three. One..._' Goku nodded and began charging a second blast. Luud was recovering quickly from the disorientation, meaning this countdown would need to be quicker. '_Two... Three!_' Goku fired _just _before Chase did, and Pan's second nostril began to bleed, '_Too early, Gramps..._'

*three unsuccessful tries later*

"Goku, let me try." Trunks offered. Goku, who was frustrated with their repeated failure, conceded. Trunks immediately felt the weak presence of his girlfriend in his mind, '_Pan?_' He felt her joy and couldn't but grin, '_Trunks... just listen to the count... please..._' He nodded, even though she couldn't see him, '_Alright, let's get this done._'

'_One_.' Trunks began charging his blast, _I will not screw this up. Pan needs us to get this right._

'_Two._' Chase glanced at his sister as his blast began to grow with power, _she needs to get some rest. I'm not going to mess this up._

'_THREE!_' Luud began to surge forward at the exact moment that the two of them fired their blasts. Everyone waited with bated breath as the smoke started to clear. The cell suddenly exploded, and Pan beamed, '_You did it, Trunks..._' the link shattered, and Trunks began to worry. Did she intentionally drop the link... or was she too weak to keep it up. He watched with bated breath as Luud fell to pieces, waiting for something to happen. His head fell from his shoulders, barely missing Trunks as it rolled away.

Suddenly, streams of green light erupted from the torso of the machine, flying high into the air before circling down to float into the sacrificial cauldron. The cauldron glowed a bright green, and then promptly exploded in a bright flash. Trunks covered his eyes, waiting for the blast to die down. he heard Chase's voice cry out, "Not so fast!" the light cleared, and he watched the younger boy tackle Dolltaki and pin him down to the ground. Kassie watched, supporting a very weak Pan. "Pan!" he yelled, rushing to her aid. Kassie let him take her, "I think you should get rid of that before you take care of her."

Trunks started to ask her what she meant, but Pan pressed a hand to his forehead and projected her memories into his mind with the last of her magic. Rage ripped through the saiyan Prince, and he immediately charged a blast, "Chase, move." Chase looked up in surprise and leapt away from Dolltaki, who sat up, trying to run. He never made it a centimeter away from his initial spot, and his dying scream echoed through the valley.

"Serves him right." Pan said in a small voice, "I missed you." Trunks cupped her cheek, "I missed you too, Panny." She laid her head on his shoulder and promptly went to sleep. Goku came out of the shrine carrying the six star ball. "Let's get going. We've got a lot of time to make up for." Chase wrapped an arm around Kassie's waist, "In more ways than one." She laughed and snuggled into his side, "Let's do this." The group retreated to their space ship, more than ready for any challenges that lay before them.

**The ending was a little dry, but I have to end it somewhere. Next chapter is the desert planet, and then I skipping all the way up to returning to Earth, no arguments. I'm trying to get past GT because we've still got Nevus to worry about. Leave your opinion in a review! SukiChan12 ^-^ btw, I'm taking a massive break from this. Expect the next update in three weeks! I've been working on this nonstop since eight this morning, and I'm posting it after I finish, right after I finish, so I definitely deserve a breather. I love you guys!**


	17. Journey to Planet Rudeeze

**Yays! My favorite fic! Enjoy the chapter, guys! This chapter starts with a small continuation of the last chapter. Sorry, for the impossible wait; I'm on punishment right now *pout*.**

"How are you feeling?"

Pan moaned as she came to, clutching her throbbing head with both hands. Trunks grabbed her wrists and gently pulled them away, pressing kisses to her palms, "Pan?" she shook her head, "give me a second." Trunks waited patiently for her to gather her bearings. She lay on his chest with a soft, pained sigh, "My head is killing me." Trunks nuzzled the top of her head, "I can see that, love. You want to lay down some more?" She shook her head, "I'll take it as it comes. Hopefully this is the worst of it. I've never used that much of my powers in one go. I was pretty close to expending all of it." Pan nestled eagerly into his embrace, drawing the strength she needed from his loving hold on her. Her brain felt like it was being run through a metal shredder, dipped in acid, and trampled on by dinosaurs.

"Do you want a senzu bean?" Trunks asked softly, not trying to disturb her headache. "Yes, please." She replied. The saiyan Prince laid his girlfriend back down into a reclining position and went to rummage through the medical supplies for the sack of beans. Pan watched him quietly, playing with her hands as she waited. "Ah ha." Trunks emerged from his search victorious and placed the bean at her lips. Pan grinned softly and took the bean, chewing calmly. Her headache abated and she heaved a sigh of relief. Trunks watched the tenseness of her body flow from her as the mystical bean did its job.

"Anything utterly exciting happen on Planet Luud? You know, other than you getting turned into a doll?" Trunks inquired. He'd meant to be teasing, but Pan found nothing slightly funny in the phrase and shut herself off from him; her face carefully blank as memories resurfaced in her mind. Trunks frowned; he knew the facial expression she wore well. Something had happened, possibly something terrible, and he intended to find out what it was. "Panny, what did he do?" He didn't bother to speak _his_ name, knowing she'd figure it out from the tone in his voice. "N-nothing. Why do you assume he did something to me?" Pan cursed herself for stammering on her words. _Now he's sure to figure it out!_ Trunks was unconvinced by her shaky voice, and gently grasped her tiny, soft hands in his, "Pan, you know you can tell me anything, right?" She looked down, severely ashamed by her plight on that dreadful planet. It's not that she didn't want to tell him; she couldn't fight her way past the frog that had somehow lodged itself in her throat. _I don't know how badly you'll react to this, Trunks, _she reasoned silently, _but I would feel so horrid for keeping it from you_.

The mermaid heaved a quiet, most weary sigh and began to speak, "I was aware of my outward surroundings while I was a doll, but I couldn't interact in anyway. You know that," Trunks nodded, and she forced herself to be brave and continue on, "well, Doll- _he_ wanted me and Kassie for his own... _purposes_ and-" a sudden sob burst from her stiff throat, and tears began to trickle down her rosy cheeks, "he... he _touched_ us in no way any girl should be touched by a stranger. I felt so naked and exposed; I wanted you more than anything to come and save me." Trunks started to voice his ire, when a sudden memory of Pan's agonized voice in his head while he was fighting against Luud, "I heard you scream in my head while I was fighting, but I couldn't pinpoint where you were." She slumped into his warm chest, shaking with quiet sobs. "Princess, I'm so sorry." He crooned, stroking her hair. Pan tightened her grip with a whimper.

_Maybe it would be best to drop her and Kassie off on Earth before we continue with the mission, _Trunks rationed, _we'd lose valuable time, but it would be worth it. She clearly needs some time to cope, and who's to say something similar won't happen to her again... not that I'd allow it to happen; if I'm able, that is. _His grip on the small girl in his arms tightened, and he kissed the top of her head, _never again will she hurt like this._

**Chapter 17: **_**Journey to Planet Rudeeze**_

_Everything from this point forward is episode 15 and up. Enjoy the chapter!_

Pan and Kassie worked away in the kitchen, studiously preparing a meal for the group to eat. Pan mixed up the stir fry and picked up a piece of meat to test her masterpiece. She chewed quietly and then frowned, "Maybe a bit more garlic would do it..." as she reached over the pan to grab said item, a small, three fingered hand reached into the stir fry and grabbed a small piece of meat. "Hey," she snapped, slapping Giru's hand away from the meal. The piece of meat flew into the air and landed in the robot's open mouth. Growling in her non-native language under her breath; (the one she uses to do spells, that is), the mermaid watched him 'savor' the meat. When he uttered that it had similar components to that of fertilizer, she released a frustrated cry and knocked him to the floor, where she pinned him under her purple boot. Kassie frowned as her friend grabbed an egg from the counter, but then froze as she overheard the others talking in the cockpit, "Pan, shh! Be quiet and listen for a minute!" Pan quieted and focused on hearing what the males were talking about.

"... Dr. Myuu's been able to predict our every move and he's probably expecting us to come straight to him. Maybe we should stop on earth first." Chase entered the kitchen from the bedroom area, "guys, what's-" Kassie motioned for him to quiet down. He closed his mouth immediately and waited for the others to continue. "We could drop off Pan and Kassie and grab Goten. His power would be much more useful to us right now." A low cracking sound penetrated the silence as Pan's hands contracted on the fragile eggs in her grip. The slimy egg white and yolk dripped from between her fingers, falling to the cool, white linoleum. Trunks looked up at her, horrified, "Panny, I-"

"Trunks, I don't want to go back to Earth. Don't I get a say in this?" She asked innocently, staring at him with her sparkling blue eyes. When he couldn't form a reply, she looked to her grandfather, "Grandpa, do you want to take me back?" Not understanding the gravity of the situation, or how his answer could affect his granddaughter, Goku simply laughed and shook his head, "I'm not about to get involved in your lover's spat, you two." Pan blinked, trying to clear some of her tears away, "Trunks, do you really want me to leave?" The saiyan Prince floundered for an answer that would somehow appease her, "Panny, it's for your safety. This mission is going to be dangerous, and we don't want you hurt-"

"I'm stronger than I look, and if this has to do with what happened on Planet Luud, then I refuse to leave! I can take care of myself!" Pan hurled the egg at him; hitting him squarely in the face, and ran to the elevator to go up to the top deck. Soft sobs could be heard as the elevator ascended to the stargazing deck.

"Way to go, Trunks." Kassie said scornfully, "I'll go check on her-" Chase grasped her hand and squeezed it gently, "No; I think this is something that Trunks needs to fix on his own." Kassie frowned, "Who said anything about me helping him out? I'm just being a good friend." The mermaid twirled on her heel and climbed onto the elevator with tissue on hand...

*On the Stargazing deck*

Pan was curled up on the soft seats, staring out into the stars with tear filled eyes. "I can show him," she whispered mournfully, "I can help if he'd only let me..." she coughed and wiped at her eyes vainly. Kassie walked up behind he and placed a hand on her back, "Hey, sweetie." Pan turned to face her friend dejectedly and took the tissue she offered mutely. "You know, since there's no way to get to them by talking, because men don't listen to us '_weaker_' sex, we should show them that we can do our parts, too." Pan frowned, dabbing at her wet face, "How?" Kassie smirked, "by finding the next dragon ball on our own, of course." She held up Giru and pointed to the radar on his back, "the next one is on one of the planets not too far up ahead. If we can nab the ball on our own, then that's _more_ than enough to show them that we females are not weak." A hint of a smile began to form at the corner of the former princess's lip, "How do you intend that we make this happen?" Kassie smiled, "We'll bribe Giru to keep quiet with food; metal, of course, and then we'll go off on our own." A full blow smile appeared on Pan's face, full of malicious intent, "alright then, let's do this."

*landing*

"Holy crap, it's so hot..." Pan started to whine, but bit her lip. She couldn't afford to allow any weakness to show while in the presence of her enemy. "Let's just get back on the ship and turn on the AC." Trunks rationed, leading the way back to the ladder. Before he and Goku could board, however, a strange divot began to form under one of the legs holding the ship up. Before anyone could react, a large red centipede creature emerged from the sand and sprayed a volley of sand from its mouth, every dodged but Pan and Kassie, who took the sand head-on, flying back into the ship. Kassie cried out as she landed on her ankle the wrong way, and Pan rushed over to heal it for her. Outside of the ship, Trunks and Goku landed a clean uppercut on the beast, but it winded under and wrapped its body around the ship, crushing the coolant tanks. Inside, the girls screamed as the ship shook with the force of its squeeze. Goku hurled a yellow ki blast and hit the worm squarely in the face. It released a roar of displeasure and retreated back into the sandy depths. "Just our luck, now we have to fix the ship and refill the coolant tanks." Trunks muttered, growling unappreciatively under his breath.

While the men worked on the ship, Pan and Kassie each packed a canteen full of cold water and some food to keep themselves satisfied. Pan had changed into a pair of daisy dukes and a purple tube top. Her long, thick hair was braided into a bun on the top of her head to keep her cool, and a pair of shades were perched above her blue eyes. She wore a simple pair of tennis shoes on her feet. Kassie was dressed similarly, except her top was blue and left her midriff bare.

"Alright, Giru, here's the first of your payment." Kassie laid a medium sized pile of nuts and bolts in front of the robot, "Don't tell anyone we've gone." Giru agreed and started eating. Pan strapped a parasol to the top of her pack and slid the canteen over her shoulder, "Let's do this." Kassie gestured for Pan to pick her up, and the two of them were off, flying leisurely over the hot desert sand.

**(A/N: Mermaids are, of course, aquatic creatures, so what do you think happens when they're subjected to an environment with little to no water in the air? What happens when a fish is outside of water for too long? Alright, maybe not that serious. Their skin will dry out, and they'll start to have trouble breathing which will continue to escalate as time goes on...)**

Giru had long finished his meal and had taken to leisurely floating around the ship, taking in the progress to repair the tanks. Chase frowned and put his tool down, "Has anyone seen the girls since we ran into that worm thing a few hours ago?" Trunks looked at the younger boy worriedly, "No. They're probably inside the ship." A nagging sense of worry nipped at the back of his mind as he resumed working on the coolant tank. A flash of white in his peripheral vision caught his eye, and he watched Giru float away in surprise, "Giru, where are you going?" The robot barely replied before shooting off, "Giru worried. Search for Pan and Kassie. Giru." Goku's eyes widened in confusion, "What's he talking about?"

*with the girls*

"Do you see anything?"

"If you mean sand, sand, and, oh, lookie here; _more_ sand, then yeah, I see something."

Pan groaned, and unscrewed the top of her canteen to take a long swig, but came up with a small, lukewarm trickle. She whined and put the empty container in her pack. "This is hopeless." Kassie whimpered, "You're too tired to fly, it's too hot to keep walking. Oh, I think the bottoms of my sneakers have melted." She rubbed at her skin vigorously, "and my skin's so dry... it'll take a miracle and some skin cream for it to soften up again..." Pan nodded in agreement. Her skin felt uncomfortably tight and stiff, like it had been replaced with leather or some sort of thick material. It took all her will just to move around, but dry skin or not, she _had_ to find that dragon ball. Not being able to do so would only get her sent packing, and she didn't want to go back.

Suddenly, the air became thick in her lungs, like two humongous wads of glue trapped in her airways. She stumbled to a halt and fell to her knees, wheezing and coughing, trying to draw in air. Faintly, she noticed Kassie fall flat on her face, coughing violently. There was a faint hint of a blue hue to her cheeks, and realization hit Pan with the force of a kame hame ha. This would mark the second month they had gone without a mandatory transformation which meant that they needed to find a source of water quickly. The lack of water in the air only hastened the withdrawal. The mermaid clawed at her throat, desperately wriggling forward. _Water, need water! _Dark bubbles popped in her vision as the lack of air began to affect her consciousness. The last thing she saw was a gigantic red mass erupting from the sand just meters in front of her...

*Somewhere else in the Universe*

"General Riildo, I have a task for you." Dr. Myuu breathed, and images of Goku, Trunks, Chase, Pan, and Kassie began to play on the numerous screens, "I want these nuisances captured alive, and with them, those dragon balls. I want them alive so that I may experiment with their power. The robot hybrid nodded eagerly, "I won't fail you, Dr. Myuu." The 'good' doctor smiled maliciously, "I want this task to be handled much more gently than others. You understand this, yes?" Riildo nodded, "They'll only be harmed if they resist," a devious smirk highlighted his blue features as the connection was severed, _and I hope that they do..._

Giru slammed into the head of the red worm hovering over the prone bodies of Pan and Kassie, knocking it silly for a few seconds. He took in the rapidly advancing blue hue of their cheeks, and the rapid fluttering of their chests as their lungs fought to take in air, and he quickly realized that getting them to a source of water was vital to their health.

'_What on... where am I?_' _Pan looked around worriedly. She was shrouded in darkness. "Where am I?" she said aloud, fear causing her voice to shake. Her parents appeared before her, and she gasped in surprise. A large smile overtook her face, and she began to run to them, "Mama! Papa!" As she reached them, her arms closed on air, and she could only watched as her parents dissipated into thin air. She whimpered and looked around for them, and came face to face with her grandmother and uncle Goten. She rushed over to them blindly and tried to hug them, but they too vanished. The cycle continued with her friends, Bra and Marron, her Grampa Hercule, Aunt Bulma, even Vegeta, until she refused to even move, too afraid that if she did so, they would leave her alone in this strange, dark place. Trunks appeared before her, and she forced herself to stay put, even though all she wanted was to run into his arms. "Trunks... I'm so sorry..." her tears dripped down her cheeks in cool rivers..._

*Meanwhile*

Trunks, Chase, and Goku came up on a very worrying scene. Giru was rushing between Pan and Kassie, trying to wake the unresponsive girls. Their cheeks were tinged blue, and their chests were expanding rapidly to take in air. Chase recognized the signs immediately and scooped Kassie up, "They need water, fast." Trunks picked Pan up, "How do you know?" Chase shrugged, "it happens to Pan a lot over the summer. Dry air isn't good for mermaids." He glanced at the unconscious worm lying in the sand with wide eyes, "Giru, did you do that? You know what; just tell me later, we need to find some water for them. Preferably a body of water that they can comfortably swim in." Trunks nodded, and they began the search for an oasis or something similar...

*Pan*

Pan awoke from her nightmare as cool liquid enveloped her overheated, tired body. She transformed and feebly flapped her tail to keep herself afloat. Trunks watched her closely for any signs of distress. Pan looked up at him and started to swim in his direction, but soon lost what little energy she had gained. Trunks waded out to her and helped her get to the shallows. She perched herself on his lap and laid her head in the crook of his neck. "'m sorry," she said hoarsely, "so sorry." Trunks pulled away so he could see her face. She was more rosy than blue now, and she just looked overheated, rather than halfway suffocated. "I thought that if I found the dragon ball, then you wouldn't send me and Kassie back home." He nuzzled her neck, "silly girl, I'm not sending you home. We wouldn't last a day without your cooking." She giggled hoarsely, "So I'm not leaving?" The saiyan prince kissed her forehead, "No way in hell. If Dr. Myuu expects us coming, then we'll just have to deal with it. For now, you just rest and soak up some moisture." Pan nodded, resting leisurely in his arms, "Kay, love you." Trunks blushed slightly, "I love you too, Princess."

It didn't matter that Doctor Myuu had placed a bounty on their heads for their capture, or that the dragon balls were at stake. All that mattered was that they had each other, and that they were going to win this together, no matter what.

**I have **_**a lot**_** to make up for, and I intend to. Massive time skip coming up next chapter, due to the time I've lost, not being able to work on anything. Sorry for the wait, you guys. SukiChan12^-^**


	18. Beginning the Seige, Bebi's Arrival

**Alright, time skip as promised. I think I'm going to skip over the events of the Super Seventeen Saga, and jump straight into the Shadow Dragons. After that, I'm free to follow my own format again, yay! Here's the recap...**

* * *

_After much convincing, Giru gets the group to land on his home planet, though Kassie and Pan are getting suspicious of him. Upon landing, they, rather Giru, are greeted by a fleet of Giru-look alikes who seem to know him. Goku gets hungry, so the group head off to search for food. Along the way, they are confront by the Sigma Force, a group of powerful robots. To Pan's shock, Giru jumps up on the platform they're on, turning his back on his 'friends'. One of the robots disintegrates, and then reforms around Trunks, Chase, and Goku, effectively trapping them. Trunks begs Pan to hide away, in case they come back for her and Kassie, and then the robots and Giru leave with them in tow, on the way to General Rilldo._

_Goku, Trunks, and Chase are analyzed thoroughly by the robots, and are found to have an extraordinary power within them, especially Goku, and Chase, but his powers lie dormant, much like his father. Pan and Kassie find some spare robot parts and attempt to sneak into the compound. They soon run into a problem when they are unable to phase through walls, and are thrown into the scrap heap as a result. Pan decides to do things her own way and starts making her way through the compound. Along the way, she is confronted by a member of the Sigma Force; who exploits his ability to phase through walls, as well as the fact that Giru has shared data on her, Trunks, Goku, and Chase's fighting style with the Sigma Force, giving them the upper hand. Her anger towards Giru's betrayal gives her the energy she needs to fire her very first stable ki beam and defeat him. Goku wakes up and breaks out of his containment chamber as he hears Pan coming. She and Kassie break down the door, but are taken by surprise and knocked out by the other members of the Sigma Force._

_Trunks and Chase wake up at take the girls back to the ship, leaving Goku to face the remaining Sigma Force members alone. Once the others reach the ship, it is discovered that Giru had stolen the Dragon Balls. Meanwhile, Goku proves to be too strong for the Sigma Force to handle, and they then combine to form the Sigma Cannon. Their power and speed increase greatly, forcing Goku to change up his plan. In the end, however, he manages to overwhelm and defeat them, all without powering up to Super Saiyan. General Rilldo, who'd been watching from the base, is overcome with rage at this turn of events and takes matters into his own hands..._

_Goku arrives at the ship just before the General does. He fires a strange energy beam at Pan, but Trunks pushes her out of the way, sacrificing himself. Part of the beam hits Pan in the arm, leaving it a dead piece of metal at her side. The metal is also slowly spreading to the rest of her body. The beam turns Trunks entirely to a block of metal, and he is instantly transmitted to a tower, where he'll be sent to Dr. Myuu's lab for dissection and further analyzation. Pan, despite her arm, rushes off to stop him from being dissected, but arrives just as his statue is sent off. By then, the metal had started to take over her upper torso. Meanwhile, Goku is swarmed by robots while fighting Rilldo, and he's forced to transform to fend them off. Rilldo begins to power up himself, and several metal pieces from nearby building merge with him, turning him into Meta Rilldo. Rilldo reveals his secret power. He can appear anywhere on the planet, as long as there's metal, and he can control any and all metal on the planet. Pan struggles to break into the main tower, what with her body slowly turning into metal, but the emergency removal system keeps spitting her out. Chase finds a way to deactivate it, and they infiltrate, trying to find Giru. Before Pan can destroy the little robot, Giru turns the removal system back on, and the twins are spit out, luckily, along with the dragon balls. General Rilldo tells Goku to give up, because nothing short of the planets destruction will be able to defeat him. _

_Goku refuses to quit and their battle continues. Pan and Chase arrive to tell their grandpa that they found the dragon balls, and it's all the distraction Rilldo needs. Her reacts and freezes them, and Kassie, entirely into metal. They are transported to Myuu's lab for dissection. As the doctor is preparing, Giru shows up and frees them with a special beam. Before he can free Trunks, however, another robot grabs the block, and, in the scuffle to retrieve it, the block falls to the floor and breaks. Pan, in a state of disbelief, faints dead away. Trunks appears on the stairway, shocking everyone by his sudden 'resurrection', but he soon reveals the plan he'd devised with Giru. The metal Trunks is apparently fake. Trunks opens a secret door in the lab, ignoring Myuu's protests. The reason for the entire plan is behind that door..._

_Dr. Myuu's special creation is an evil robot named Bebi. Trunks has deactivated Bebi's life support system. While Dr. Myuu fights to save his creation, Trunks explains that when he was sent to the tower, Giru freed him and created a replica that was transmitted to Myuu's lab. Pan awakens during the explanation and proceeds to hit Trunks upside his head for scaring her like he did. The evil scientist had managed to revive Bebi, and he leaps out of his container. Chase, Pan, Trunks, and Goku immediately blast him, and when the smoke clears, Bebi is gone. Dr. Myuu runs to his spaceship and escapes. On the ship, Bebi bursts out of Dr. Myuu, revealing he used the doctor to create him. He crushes Myuu's head, revealing the one star ball inside. Giru restores their ship, and the group take off. Before they can clear the atmosphere, Rilldo reappears and grabs their ship, stopping them. The quartet fires a Kamehameha Wave at him and finishes him off._

_They locate a dragon ball on a nearby abandoned ship. Kassie opts to stay behind, leaving the other five to board the ship and find the one star ball. Pan sees something move and decides to go check it out. Giru informs the group that they have two minutes until the ship crashes into the star it is orbiting. Pan finds a heavily injured boy who's barely clinging to life, and they bring him back to the ship, barely escaping being consumed by the star themselves. Giru sends out a distress signal, and a nearby planet responds. Pan manages to stabilize the boy with her healing abilities, and he is then taken to the hospital. Goku is close to having a mental breakdown due to his fear of needles, and not even food could get him to relax. In the recovery room, the boy wakes up, and blasts the door open._

_Pan and Kassie, who'd been outside, swimming in a nearby pond, hear the explosion, but are unable to do anything, as they forgot to bring towels with them. Inside, Goku rescues the boy from the burning room, believing the explosion was a mere accident. Alone in a new room, the boy is revealed to be possessed by Bebi. The evil parasite switches bodies and takes on a doctor to get Trunks alone, under the guise of sharing the healing technology of the planet. He attacks Trunks, but Pan and the others arrive in time to save him..._

* * *

"... and my board members said it couldn't be done-" Trunks turned around, just in time for the doctor to wrap his hand around his throat with an evil chuckle. "Doc, why?" The 'doctor' smirked, "because I want your power." Trunks' eyes widened in realization, and he gasped, "Bebi!" Bebi smiled, "That's right. You thought you could make Bebi go away, but as long as one of my cells live, I can regenerate. From there, it was a matter of leapfrogging from body to body until I gathered enough energy to develop into my current state, but I'm not finished yet..." Trunks coughed and asked another question, "But the spaceship... what happened to all the people on board..?" The parasite laughed, "They became Bebi food, so to speak, but at least they died for a worthy and historic purpose." Trunks stopped himself from rolling his eyes, _worthy and historic, my ass!_ Suddenly, the little parasite formed into a glob of lavender goo and prepared to swallow his face. "This tour didn't turn out to be what I expected!" Trunks cried out as he closed his eyes, waiting for the goo to converge on him.

"TRUNKS!" a bright yellow ki blast hurtled into the room, knocking the parasitic goo away from the saiyan prince. Pan stood poised in the doorway, a second blast at the ready, "stay away from my boyfriend, you parasitic freak show." Trunks blushed lightly as Bebi reformed and started to glare at the girl, but stopped short as he took in her lovely face and assets, "Hello, beautiful." Trunks moved on the defensive, stepping in front of his Princess protectively. "I don't date children." Pan said coolly, glaring at the parasite.

"How did you know I was alive?" Bebi demanded, moving into a defensive stance. "I sensed your presence when you fired that blast earlier. I'm a little more sensitive to ki signatures than most." She said haughtily as her brother and grandfather entered the room behind her. They were caught off guard as Bebi suddenly hurled himself straight at Pan, but Goku retaliated with a blast of his own that sent the parasite sprawling. Bebi regrouped himself and started to crawl away, but Trunks phased in front of him, "no more body snatching, Bebi," and hit him point-blank range with a bright blue blast. He landed in front of Pan, who smirked down at him, "You would be free to go if you weren't so intent on hurting people," and kicked him high into the air. The parasite screamed as he ricocheted off of the ceiling and hit the floor hard.

"Rest assured, you won't be doing this again." Chase snapped, and all four of them began charging a ki blast. Bebi began to scream, and all four of them were sent sprawling as a blast of reddish pink light exploded through the room. Trunks received a slash on his upper right arm as a result, and grunted softly in pain as he struggled to sit upright. Bebi noticed the cut and hurled himself at Trunks, converging on the opening. Trunks cried out as Bebi entered his body, and Pan screamed, "Trunks, no!" she rushed over to him, intent on helping him somehow, but Bebi was already in control of his body. The young mermaid cried out in pain as Bebi-Trunks backhanded her, sending her flying roughly. Chase caught her and set her down beside Kassie, guarding both of them deftly. Kassie watched him move fluidly, distracted by how graceful her boyfriend was on the battlefield...

"KASAIYA, MOVE!_" _Her head snapped up, startled from her reverie. Goku had miscalculated a dodge, and now she was about to be on the receiving end of a bright yellow ki blast. Before she could even think to scream, however, a body flew in front of hers. The blast readily engulfed them, and only then did she scream. Chase lay on top of her, severely burnt and bloodied from the powerful blast. "K- Kas-ssie, I-" with a low groan, he fainted, and she scrambled to get from underneath him, cradling his head in her arms. _Oh my god, no, I can't lose you, Chase!_ She placed her hands on his bloody chest, digging deep inside of her for something, _anything_ that she could do to help him. Warmth enveloped her hands, and she looked down, shocked silent. A pale blue light had covered her hands, and the wounds beneath them were _healing_ themselves. Everywhere her hands moved, wounds were closing up and smoothing over into lightly tanned skin. "Oh, thank you, Dende..." she whimpered, pressing gentle kisses to his face as she worked. An agonized cry from Trunks caught her attention, and she looked up.

Trunks growled as he began to power up to super saiyan, _this parasite can't have my body!_ Bebi fought against the rapidly increasing power, but it was too much for him, and he was forced to retreat from the burning energy of Trunks' super saiyan form. He retreated into a corner to watch this turn of events, startled.

Trunks fell to one knee, panting heavily. Pan wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a hand on his arm to heal the cut, "are you alright, Trunks?" The saiyan Prince cupped her face and frowned sadly, "I hit you." she shook her head, "No, _Bebi_ hit me. You weren't aware of yourself," and kissed him on the lips gently. He laid his head on her chest, breathing in her sweet scent. Pan ran her hands through his hair and pecked his forehead periodically. Kassie spotted the parasite and cried out, "There he is!" Bebi screeched and released a brilliant flare from his eyes; blinding everyone in the vicinity, save for Giru, who used a lens to track his movement as he escaped through a vent.

Pan helped Trunks to his feet, squinting her eyes as the flash began to die down, "Come on, we have to find him before he gets off of the planet." Kassie helped Chase to his feet, "How are you feeling?" He nodded once, "Better, thanks to you." she blushed and kissed his cheek, "I'm glad you're better. You scared the crap out of me, though." He scooped her up in his arms, "Well, I couldn't just sit there and watch you get blasted. You would've died." She frowned at the sudden melancholy tone in his voice and cupped his cheek, "I'm fine. Its okay, Chase." He nuzzled the top of her head lovingly, "Let's just get off of this planet already." She nodded in agreement, "I'm ready to head home, actually." He smiled, "In that case, why don't we hurry up and find the last few balls, then?" she smirked playfully, "sounds like a plan to me."

Meanwhile, on a ship headed directly towards planet Earth, Bebi had made a feast of every passenger on the plane, but the energy wasn't quite enough to satisfy him. _No matter_, he snickered to himself, _once I get to Earth, there'll be nothing keeping me from having a full course meal... starting with those saiyans, of course._ With that, he released an evil, high pitched cackle as the ship continued on its plotted course to Earth...

* * *

_In the course of time it took for the group to gather the last three dragon balls, Bebi had managed to possess every living creature on planet Earth, starting with the saiyans and their families. Goten was taken down first, shortly followed by Gohan, who'd been tipped off that something was up with his younger brother when he went to CC to visit Bulma..._

"GotenGotenGotenGoten! _GOTEN_!" Gohan jumped as his mother slid by him in a flurry of dust, and his wife looked up at him questionably, "should I be concerned?" He shrugged and peeked down the hall, "Mom, are you alright?" His mother groaned and rubbed her forehead. Videl moved to help her up, "Let's just get her back to Bulma." Gohan nodded and led the way back to Bulma's living space.

**(A/N: I HATE GOHAN'S GT LOOK! So, there are no glasses, and definitely no mad scientist hairdo. He looks just like he did in high school, just a bit more mature, and he has contacts. Videl's hair comes down to her elbows, but it's usually up in a ponytail or a loose bun.)**

"Hey, Aunt Bulma." Gohan said cheerily as he opened door. Videl led Chichi inside, "My father called not too long ago. Something about Goten." Chichi moaned, "I need an aspirin." Videl smiled apologetically and helped her mother in-law get to the kitchen. Gohan smiled softly, and then looked to Bulma, his face serious, "There was some kind of fight in West City, and apparently Goten got dragged into it." There was the sound of someone spitting out water, along with Videl's cry of surprise, and then Chichi appeared in the doorway, spitting mad, "Did someone hurt my Goten?!" Videl walked up behind her, wiping her face, "Dad said it was just a scratch, Mom." Chichi wasn't swayed. She stomped up to Gohan, "You'd better go out there and bring my precious baby back to me! I warned him about going out with that- that _city girl_."

Gohan placed his hands on his mother's shoulders, bending his knees slightly so he could look into her eyes, "Mom, I'm sure Goten's fine. He can take care of himself. You _did_ train him, after all." This did the trick, and the Son matriarch smirked evilly, "No one will be able to hurt my baby boy." Gohan rolled his eyes and looked at Bulma, "What room can we put our stuff in?" She beamed, "pick any room you like." Videl nodded and led the way down the hall.

Gohan frowned as he laid his briefcase on the bed. He felt Goten's ki approaching, but it didn't feel right. There something impure about it that didn't belong when it came to his naïve, carefree little brother. _Something happened to him in West City_, he rationed, _and I'm willing to bet it caused this shift in his ki_. He heard his mother cry out in joy, and realized he'd missed his brother's arrival while going over the possibilities in his head. Videl had already left to go greet him, and he began to make his way to the main room. Faintly, the elder Son heard his brother yell, "Get away from me," along with a shocked cry from his mother. Videl stood in the doorway to the kitchen, and he could easily tell that she was tensed up just by looking at her back.

"Vegeta," Bebi-Goten growled, "tell me where Vegeta is." Chichi surged forward and slapped him, sick of his sour attitude. He stumbled back into a shelf, shocked by the force behind that hit. _The mother was a fighter at some point in time. Interesting. _"How dare you come in here and act like that? I raised you better than this!" Chichi snapped, shoving a finger in his face. _How strange. She is physically weaker than the others, but to Goten, she's the most important person to him. Her power must be buried deep down inside her. _(More like in her Frying Pan.) "You answer me when I'm talking to you, Son Goten!" the Son woman hissed. _I guess I'll have to play by the rules until I find Vegeta. _"So where is Vegeta? Tell me now." To his surprise, the small woman slapped him several more times, "What is _wrong_ with _you_? Didn't I teach you any _manners_?" she asked him wearily.

_Enough of this! My patience is wearing thin! _"Will someone _please_ tell me where he is!" Chichi and Videl glanced at Bulma, who merely crossed her arms, "You know how he is. Always running off without telling anyone where he's going." _Just perfect..._ Bebi-Goten started to retort, but was interrupted by a new voice; one that belonged to a person that his host respected greatly, almost as much as his mother.

"Goten, you're back. How'd things go down in West City?" Gohan glided into the room. He was wearing a nice, fitted blue button down, around the same shade of his wife's periwinkle eyes, khaki slacks that hinted at toned legs, and light brown boat shoes. A few of the buttons at the top of his shirt were unbuttoned, hinting at a lightly tanned, muscular chest. His host surmised that his sister in-law had picked the outfit, as Gohan was much too modest to wear anything of the sort.

_So this is your brother? I sense more power within him than in you, brat._ Bebi teased, and Goten retaliated, '_Leave my brother out of this!_' Bebi snickered at the boy; _He'll be a better aid to me when it comes to finding Vegeta._ Bebi further ignored Goten's protests as Gohan spoke again.

"Did your date not go as well as you thought it would?" Gohan frowned, _what's wrong with you, Goten?_ Suddenly, his little brother struck out, hitting him squarely in the stomach. He grunted and pitched forward slightly. Videl cried out, "Gohan!" He shook his head at his wife, _I'm fine, Vi_, and glared at Goten, "what's your problem?" Goten sneered at him, "You're the one who walked in here and started making fun of me. Can't you take it?" The elder Son brother rolled his eyes, "I can take it, especially since you've suddenly decided to start acting like a baby." Goten growled lowly, "Shut up!" Chichi huffed at them, "You two are together for five seconds and you're fighting again! Can't this house have some peace and quiet for once? Take it outside!"

"Fine by me." Gohan took his keys and cell phone out of his pocket and gave them to his wife, who frowned worriedly at him, "Gohan, something's not right with Goten." He leaned in and kissed her gently, "I'll find out what's up once we get out of the city. Maybe he's just upset." The elder brother highly doubted that a badly executed date was the problem, however. "Fine," Videl bit her lip, "just be careful." They shared another quick kiss and then Gohan led the way outside. Videl watched them fly away with a strange but strong sense of foreboding. _Something's going to happen to Gohan... I just know it... _Her hands tightened their hold on the keys as the two Sons vanished into the clouds...

_Gohan revealed to Bebi that he was well aware of the fact that he wasn't Goten, and Bebi doesn't deny it. Bebi-Goten and Gohan begin to fight, though it's Gohan who has the upper hand at first, but Bebi quickly wears down at his resolve not to power up; something told him not to, and forces his hand. Bebi quickly forces his hand by placing him in an impossible situation, and he switches over to Gohan's body. The two of them eventually find Vegeta and overpower him, giving Bebi the chance to take over the second strongest saiyan in the universe._

_Meanwhile, the group out in space has procured the two star ball, and is making their way back to Earth. What will await them upon their arrival back to their home planet?_

**Two updates in two days. This one is mostly time skip explanation with a bit of real writing, and I can assure you that the next chapter will be all in real time, starting with them landing back on Earth. It's been outlined since I started writing this story, so updates should be pretty frequent. R&R. SukiChan12^-^**


	19. Beginning of the End

**Yays! We're finally to my favorite part! We'll start with everyone getting back on the planet and work our way down from there. I can't believe I'm almost to my twentieth chapter! Hurray! I have a weird system when it comes to telepathy and mental notes made by different characters so let's map that out right now.**

'_blah_'- possessed person to Bebi; Bebi to possessed person

_blah- _regular thought process.

'_blah_'- telepathy

**This is going to be my system for here on out. Any form of dialogue concerning the mind will always be italicized, or a combination of italicized and something else, but never bold, unless I change something. Bold is reserved for A/N's. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Finally, we're going home. I miss my parents." Kassie said softly as she laid her head on Chase's chest. "Me too, Kas. I hope they won't too mad about me causing this whole thing." He replied, stroking her hair. "Maybe they've forgotten-" Chase shook his head before she could even finish, "My dad has the memory of an elephant. There's _no_ way he'll forget, and if he has, my mother _definitely _hasn't. She's just... _Mom_." Kassie giggled and nuzzled his chest, "I'm going to get off Scott free because it's your fault we're all up in space in the first place." The Son blushed and she pressed a quick kiss to his chin, "It's okay, I love you anyway." He laughed and gathered her tiny form up in a bear hug, ignoring her squeals of indignation as he buried his face in her hair, "Mmmm, I love the way you smell. Like sugar cookies, brown sugar, and a hint of whipped cream and vanilla. It's a strange combination." Kassie wriggled around in his arms so she could look at him, "Good or bad strange, you sniff addict?" He rolled his eyes, "a good strange. Always a good strange," and kissed the top of her head.

Pan watched from the doorway, a cheesy grin on her face. A warm hand on the small of her back caught her attention, and she whirled around to face her boyfriend, smiling lovingly at him, "Ready to go back?" He frowned, "To where I have to hide my relationship with you? No way in HFIL. But it has to be done. If I had my way, and the Earth's fate wasn't based on how fast we get the dragon balls back to the planet, I'd whisk you away and hide out somewhere in the universe for the rest of our days." She giggled and rested her forehead on his chest, "I wouldn't mind but... I'd really miss my family." He sighed, "Mine too, no matter how _annoying _my little sister can be." Pan snorted, "You love her, and you'd do anything for her." He snickered, "enough talk of little shopaholic sisters and family. We're going to enjoy our last two days out in space, with no responsibilities, jobs, or school." The mermaid made a face, "How?" He smiled handsomely and took her hand, "come with me."

The saiyan prince led his Princess to the elevator and sent it up to the stargazing deck. Goku and Giru watched them go; Goku with mixed feelings of happiness and heartache. _I miss my Chi-Chan._ Watching the two young couples interact was making him realize that perhaps it wasn't the best thing to run off for years on end. Sure, he came back eventually, but he always felt so out of the loop and awkward and feeling that way only spurred him to leave; to escape the strange feelings. _Maybe it wouldn't hurt to stick around for once..._

* * *

_On the Stargazing Deck_

Trunks carefully locked the elevator so no one could enter without him allowing them entry, and he didn't plan on doing that anytime soon. For the next few hours, his time was going to be devoted to his Princess, and making the most of their remaining time up here in the stars. Speaking of whom...

Pan was lounging on the semi-circular seat, dressed in a sundress the same color of his hair, and no shoes. Her hair was down, and the many months spent away from planet Earth had given it time to grow back to its previous knee-length. The thick mass of ebon silk was piled on the seat, a few thick locks draped over the left side of her body. Starlight gleamed on her ivory skin and sparkled in her blue eyes as she gazed out of the window. The pale white light brought out some of the most beautiful deep, midnight blue reflexes in her hair. With a slight gulp, he took a seat beside her, pausing to place her legs in his lap before sitting down.

She giggled lightly and laid her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her head against him. He didn't know if it was him, and she didn't know if it was her, but someone turned their head just so... and they were kissing. No, not kissing; _making_ _out_. There were no other words to describe the primal movements of their lips and tongues. At some point, his hands had dropped to her hips, and her hands fisted in his hair, tugging so pleasurably. He didn't notice when she suddenly was straddling him, or that she could feel parts of him that _shouldn't_ be hard but were, but Dende, did he notice when she twirled her hips just so, pressing herself so deliciously against his manly parts. With a growl, he dominated her mouth with his tongue and reached around her to undo the simple ribbon that tied her dress in place. With a light tug of that ribbon, everything above her tiny little waist would be exposed to him, including those ample breasts...

_Shit, this is wrong._ Trunks forced his hand away from the ribbon and went back to kissing her heatedly. His lips moved to her neck, and the most delicious little whimpers escaped her as he sucked and nipped at the juncture where her neck met her breastbone. His thumb massaged the sides of pelvis, specifically a nerve there that would drive her wild. Her back arched sharply, and his name came from her lips in a breathy moan. His lips fell back onto hers, and her hand came up to wrap around the back his neck. They spent the rest of the night alternating between heated kisses and cuddling.

**(A/N: Age isn't anything but a number to me when it comes to love, but it's totally different when it comes to sex. I don't condone underage sex. That big moment for these two won't be coming until much later in the story. Just because Pan has the body of a nineteen year old woman, doesn't mean she IS a nineteen year old woman. She's still a child in some aspects, and forcing her to be the adult she is physically would only cause damage to her psyche. I put this scene in to show the two of them, mainly Trunks, battling their hormones.)**

* * *

_Two days later..._

"We're going home!" Kassie cheered. She and Pan began to spin around in a circle, holding each other's hands, much the amusement of the males. "Are you that happy to get away from me?" Chase asked, feigning hurt. "But of course." Kassie snorted, "Right, Pan?" Pan nodded, giggling jubilantly. "Oh, I'll show you." he griped, and then grabbed both girls around the waste and spun them around, making both of them squeal at him to stop.

"What do you say we stop at Kami's Lookout first? We can drop off the dragon balls and then head on home." Goku suggested cheerfully. "That sound like a plan, Goku." Trunks agreed, gathering the balls up in a sack, "brace yourselves, guys, we're coming in for the landing. Everyone buckled themselves up accordingly, waiting patiently for Trunks to land the ship.

_Kami's Lookout_

The ship came in for a careful landing on the white tiles of the Lookout, and Mister Popo and Dende came out to greet the weary travelers. Goku was the first to emerge from the ship, "Hey Dende, hey Popo! Man, it's been forever since we've seen you guys! How've you been?" Dende smiled, "Hey, Goku." Everyone else emerged from the ship, and Pan ran to the edge of the Lookout, staring eagerly at the horizon. Eleven months was a long time to go without her loving parents, and she was anxious to see them again, along with her Grandma and Uncle. Chase and Kassie followed her, "Ready to go home?" Pan nodded excitedly, "I can't wait to see Mama and Papa again. I'm sure Grandma and Uncle Goten missed us, too." He nodded, "Of course Grandma missed us. It's _Grandma_ for crying out loud." Kassie cringed, "I think I'll go home with you guys. I'm not ready to see my parents' reaction just yet." Pan laughed and glanced back at the others. Trunks and Goku had handed off the dragon balls and Trunks was heading back to the ship.

"Trunks, where are you going?" Pan asked. "I've got to go home and drop the ship off. I'll come by to see you and Lígi later." Pan gasped, "Oh Spirits, I forgot poor little Lígi! Chase, we need to go home, now! Grampa, let's go!" Trunks smiled at her, "I'll see you later?" She nodded, smiling softly, "definitely later," and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips, "I love you." The saiyan Prince wrapped her up in a gentle hug, "I love you, too, Panny." They shared another romantic kiss, and then the Sons, plus Kassie, were off. Trunks sighed as his girlfriend disappeared over the horizon and looked at Giru. "Back to my boring job and reality. Come on, Giru; let's drop off the ship so we can go see Pan and the others later." Giru followed him into the ship and floated next to him as he took a seat in the pilot's chair. He looked around at the empty chairs sadly; _these last eleven months were definitely the most exciting of my life. I'm going to miss spending days on end in this ship..._ Right then, the saiyan Prince made a promise that he and Pan would go back to the stars once they got married. _It would be the best honeymoon she'd ever have. I promise._

As the ship took off, Dende gave an evil smirk and eyed the sack of dragon balls resting in Popo's hands. _The black star dragon balls, _the Tuffle in Dende's head drawled, _I bet Bebi will be happy to hear about this sudden development. _With that, he shoved the protesting Guardian of Earth down and began making preparations to inform Bebi of the turn of events.

* * *

*At the Son home*

Pan and Chase burst into the house, looking anxiously for their parents. Pan was looking for her puppy, "Lígi?" she heard a whimper, and then Lígi came flying from under the sofa and buried herself in Pan's arms. "Lígi, what's wrong, girl?" the puppy whined and burrowed its head in her neck. Chase spotted their mother and grandmother in the kitchen and rushed in to hug them both. Pan cradled Lígi in her arms and followed him curiously. She placed the puppy in the carrier on the kitchen floor and rushed over to hug her mother, "Oh, Mama, I've missed you so much!" to her surprise, the woman remained stiff as a board, steadily washing the dishes in the sink. Her hair hung freely down her back, something that didn't happen often.

"Mama, are you angry at us because we went in outer space?" Again, no response. _What's wrong with them?_ She watched her grandfather go for a piece of chicken. Her grandmother was across the kitchen in a flash, spoon on hand to whack her Grampa with. "She must be mad because I'm still the size of an eight year old." He whispered, but he didn't sound too convinced. Chase frowned. If his naïve Grampa wasn't at ease with the strange atmosphere, then _something_ must be up. Pan took a seat at the table, and, on a whim, used her magic to splash her mother in the face. The water slid down her face, but she hardly batted a lash; she simply grabbed a towel, wiped her face, and went back to washing dishes. The twins shared a glance. Their mother would've killed her for using her magic like that. _Something's definitely wrong here..._

* * *

*At CC*

"Nice to see that nothing's changed around here. But then again, no one came to greet me. Sure, I'd expect that from Dad and Bra, but Mom should've been down here in a heartbeat." A movement on the balcony of the hangar caught his attention, and Trunks' eyes opened wide as his father stepped out of the shadows. "I see you returned in one piece, brat." The saiyan prince sighed; _so much for that warm welcome from mom._ "Yeah, so?" He asked dully. "Come on, brat, your mother wishes to speak with you." With that, Vegeta disappeared into the shadows, headed down the hall towards the living quarters. _How strange; _Trunks shrugged and followed his father up the stairs; unknowingly locking Giru in the ship as he did so.

When he got to the living room, his mother drifted out of the kitchen with a dazed look on her face. "Mom, are you feeling okay?" she looked at him blankly, "You've been a bad boy, Trunks." His eyes widened, "Mom, what are you talking about?" She walked out onto the balcony, but paused in the doorway, "I'll let your father deal with your punishment." Trunks watched her go, partially confused and slightly afraid. His father gave a deep, slightly menacing chuckle as he walked around until his was directly in front of Trunks, that irritating smirk of his painted on his face. "It's been a long time, eh, son?" _What the heck?! Dad never calls me 'son'!_

Trunks played along, "Yeah, it's been ages." He scratched his head nervously. _Where is going with this? Can't he just let me be so I can go see Pan? _All he needed to do was go say hi to Bra and then head over to Mount Paozu to see Pan, and maybe catch a spar with Goten or Gohan, maybe both. He was kind of in a sparring mood; now that he thought about it. He was brought out of his thoughts when his father spoke again.

"Last time was on the planet M2," his hair turned stark white, and red lines appeared on his forehead, from the middle of his eyebrows up to his hairline, "isn't that right, son?" his voice was now high pitched and slightly gravelly. Trunks stumbled back in shock, "who are you?!" the non-Vegeta smirked, "I'm not your father." At that moment, something exploded between the two men, and Trunks threw himself backwards, onto the floor.

The non-Vegeta recovered easily from the blast and shot a glare at the source of the explosion, "You're T-20-06 aren't you? Stop acting like a fool, you rusty piece of trash." Trunks glanced back at Giru; "Giru be careful; that's not my dad!" non-Vegeta spoke again, "Thanks to your blatant betrayal, you've led me straight to the remaining saiyan trash on my list." Giru fired another set of missiles, but the non-Vegeta countered the attack with a bright blue energy blast that not only eliminated the missiles, but totaled Giru as well.

"Giru," Trunks gasped, not believing what he was seeing, "_GIRU!_" Behind him, the imposter of his father chuckled in that squeaky voice that was slowly starting to become familiar to him. "Get ready my son. We shall call this day your new birthday, for you shall never be the same again." Trunks whirled around to face him, glaring something fierce, "Dad, what has come over you?" The imposter laughed once more, "have you forgotten already? I've been in your body once before and I'll do it again!" Trunks gasped sharply as realization washed over him, along with the memory of cool slime forcing its way into his body; the horrid feeling of being _controlled_... _used..._ The memory of his hand colliding with Pan's face, and her pained cry as she flew across the room hit him hard, and he immediately knew that he'd rather die than be that- that _creature_ again. He prepared himself to fight for his free will.

Sensing his resolution, Bebi-Vegeta smirked, "Fighting won't work for you, my son. In the short time that I invaded your body, I managed to plant inside of it. Any resistance you pose will be rendered futile. You know," he raised a brow, "even now, your father is fighting me for control. Out of all of your precious Z-Senshi, he's fighting back the hardest, but in the end, it means nothing. I have control over him, and I'm not letting him go. Now, it's about time you let go." Trunks felt like an invisible hand had slowly begun to constrict around his throat, and he tried to drag himself across the room, wheezing desperately. Bebi watched him struggle with a look of dominance upon his face.

'_Hello, Trunks_,' He bit his lip and shook his head, '_no, not again_!' The saiyan prince continued to resist the Tuffle invading his mind with every fiber of his being. '_It's time to be reborn, Trunks, just let go..._' the voice went from an irritating high pitch to the light, beautiful tones of someone he loved more than anyone. Rage flared through his body, '_how dare you use her voice!_' The Tuffle was jolted by the force of his ire, and then used it to his advantage as he moved in for the kill. Trunks screamed aloud as his body began to go numb and fall limply to the floor. The last thing he saw before being shoved into a corner of his mind was the smirking face of Bebi-Vegeta...

* * *

*At the Son home*

"What's up with them?" Kassie whispered, and Chase grabbed her hand, "something's wrong. _Really_ wrong." Pan nodded but didn't say anything, carefully watching her mother and grandmother. "Come on, Chi-chan, there's enough food here for four people. Can't I have a bite?" The Son matriarch spun on her heel, "shut up," she growled harshly, "we don't have enough food to feed you _saiyans_." She spit out the word '_saiyan_' like it was a bad food or something. Pan recoiled at the fury burning in her grandmother's voice with a soft whimper. She'd never spoken to her like that in the last two years, and even made it a point not to yell at the boys while she was in the room. "Grandma, what's wrong?" she asked sadly, and Chichi glanced at her. There was a faint flash of recognition and regret in her eyes, but it was soon clouded out by utter hatred.

"Hello... _Dad_. Niece. Nephew." The group turned as Goten made his way down the stairs, a strange smirk on his lips. "Hey, son. Long time no see." Goku stood up and started to walk over to him, smiling cheerily. "Ugh, you _saiyans_ are such eyesores." Pan whined softly, and Chase squeezed her hand before standing up. "What's your problem, Uncle Goten? You're hurting Pan's feelings." Once again, there was a flash of remorse in his eyes, but hatred pushed it down almost immediately. "It's been a long time, eh, Dad?" Pan turned around, "Papa!" Gohan shot her a cold look, and she fought back tears as she forced herself not to run over to him and hug him.

Gohan warred against the Tuffle in his head the moment his eyes met Pan's tear-filled blue ones, but the Tuffle more or less shoved him into a dark corner and chained him down, forcing him to watch her fears and pain play across her lovely face. He didn't want to be the cause of her suffering, but there was nothing he could do. _Panny, I'm so sorry..._

"Papa... Uncle Goten? Mama, Grandma, what's going on? why are you being so mean to us?" Pan whimpered, and Chase stood up, pushing both girls behind him and dropping into a defensive stance, "Grampa, what's happening here?" Goku moved to his side, tensed up and ready for a fight, "I don't know, but it doesn't look too good." Goten looked over at Gohan, "_He_ should be satisfied with our catch, right Gohan?" Gohan smiled and nodded, "It's rather impressive if you ask me." Goku narrowed his eyes at his two sons, "What do you mean _he_?" Gohan shook his head condescendingly at his father, "nothing you need to concern yourself with, Dad. How about we have some fun, Goten?" Goten smirked maliciously and nodded, "Fine by me." With that, the two Son brothers flared into super saiyan.

Pan covered her eyes as the bright flare of golden ki rendered her sightless for a few seconds. Furniture began to float around the house, controlled by the two powerful ki's skyrocketing all at once. Goku growled to himself; he'd had enough of this foolishness. "Gohan, Goten," he snapped, "are you trying to destroy the city?!" Goten laughed sinisterly, "The city," he rolled his eyes, "try the entire planet!" Gohan nodded, "We're going to blow this planet away with the rest of you saiyan scum." Goku was astounded, "what happened to you two since your father's been gone?" with twin battle cries, the Son brothers fired two power pink ki blasts, blowing the Son home sky-high.

Chase grabbed Kassie around the waist and flew up through what once was the roof, growling with ire. Pan and Goku followed his lead. Pan was so frightened she couldn't stop herself from shaking. The pure hatred in her family's eyes... never had they looked at her with such malice; not once in the past two years she'd been on land. "Keep it together, Panny. We'll get to the bottom of this." Goku reassured her quietly, but even he wasn't sure if he could figure this one out. Chase placed Kassie on the ground, "Pan, why don't you stay with Kassie? I'll help Grampa." She nodded gratefully; there was no way she could ever bring herself to strike a member of her family outside of a sparring match.

Suddenly, a bright pink ki beam came out of nowhere and slammed into Chase's back, pushing him straight into Pan. She screamed out as they flew across the yard, entangled in each other's limbs. Chase wrapped his arms around his sister and flew upwards, shielding her with his body. "I can't believe. We save the world, and our Dad and Uncle are trying to beat us up!"

"How can hope to save the planet when you can't even beat me?" Goten asked, floating up behind the twins. Pan started shaking again, and Chase rubbed her arms, "relax, Panny." She whimpered quietly as a new voice interrupted them.

"Goten, allow _me_ to finish them off." Chase whirled around and blocked Pan's body with his own as his father began charging a large, power ki blast. He powered up into super saiyan and prepared to deflect it. Pan's hand gripped the back of his shirt as her shakes got more and more intense, until her teeth chattered together loudly. _Where's Trunks when I need him?_

'_NO!_' Gohan cried desperately, fighting with the Tuffle. He could easily see his son was more than prepared to take the blast, but his baby girl... She wasn't strong enough to handle anything of that magnitude, and the backlash alone could wound her greatly. '_Shut up and watch the fireworks, saiyan!_' the Tuffle screamed at him, and then fired the blast. Gohan felt despair rip through him as his son struggled to counter the blast while protecting his sister. Just when he thought his children would pull through, the Tuffle began to power up to the second level, and the blast overtook both of them in a brilliant flash of fuchsia. '_Chase... Pan..._' his thoughts managed brokenly as the two prone bodies plummeted to the ground. At the last second, however, Goku caught them both and flew them down to Kassie.

Pan groaned in pain as she crawled over to her brother. When the blast began to overwhelm them, he turned at the second and shielded her from the brunt of it by taking it with his back. Blood leaked eagerly from his scorched back, and she looked up at her grandfather with tears in her eyes, "Grampa... why does Papa hate us so much? Did we do something wrong?" He shook his head, "It's them, not you two. Something's wrong with them." She sobbed quietly and curled up next to Chase on the ground, healing him. Kassie got on his other side and started working. "You two take care of him, I'll teach them a lesson they won't soon forget." Goku kissed Pan on her forehead and launched into the air.

They barely paid attention to the ensuing fight, too focused on healing Chase and getting him back on his feet. His was barely conscious and in too much pain to even move. "Hang on, Chase." Kassie whispered, kissing his face lovingly, "You'll be okay, I promise." He grunted in recognition and closed his eyes again. "Poor baby..." Kassie whispered, pouring more of her newly discovered magic into the healing spell. "Don't pour too much magic into it, you'll tire yourself out." Pan warned softly. Kassie looked at the younger girl and winced at the bloody burns on her arms and legs, "Do you want me to heal you, Pan?" She shook her head, "Chase is the priority. It's just burns and sore muscles. Nothing I can't handle." A dark shadow fell over them and they froze.

"Well, well, well... what have we here?"

_That voice_, Pan turned to look over her shoulder and beamed, "Trunks!" He opened his arms and she rushed into them, her pain forgotten. Kassie frowned; there was something _off_ about the saiyan Prince, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She looked up into the sky and saw Goku fighting with... a _white haired Vegeta_? She also saw Bra, Goten, and Gohan floating off to the side, watching with disinterested expressions as the white haired saiyan king continued to bat Goku around like a cat with a mouse. Pan finally noticed the group and she looked at Trunks, "Why aren't you helping Grandpa?"

"Why would I help that saiyan scum?" Pan gasped and pulled away from him, looking at him with new eyes, "Trunks, what- why?" He shrugged, "why not? Bebi is the new leader of Earth now, and you should join him." Kassie gasped, "_Bebi_?" Trunks nodded, "but of course, didn't you see him thrashing that sorry excuse of a saiyan just now?" Pan stuttered, "B-but, that's Mr. Vegeta-"

"His _body_, yes, but its Lord Bebi who resides within." The mermaids backed away from him warily. He continued to explain with a pleasant smile, "He was gracious enough to plant his eggs in every human on this planet so we'd all be able to know what a great and powerful leader he is. Pan, join our side. I miss you, Princess..." Pan unconsciously took a step towards him, and Kassie jerked her back, "Pan, no! He's not the real Trunks!"

Bebi's attentions were drawn to the two young girls his 'son' had accosted. Both of them looked up at him fearfully, and he rifled through Vegeta's memories of the two girls. _These girls are mermaids... they'll make wonderful pets for me._ He turned to his dutiful minions, "bring me those two mermaids immediately," he smirked evilly, "I want pets to display in my throne room." Pan's jaw fell in horror as the remaining mind slaves to Bebi, her father, Goten, and Bra flew towards them at frightening speeds.

"Pan," Chase rasped, "take Kassie and get out of here." She stared at her twin in horror, "I can't just leave you!" He shook his head weakly, "You have to. Don't worry about me, just go!" she nodded, grabbed Kassie, and launched into flight. Luckily for her, with her short stature, it was easy for her to get a pretty good lead. Kassie looked back just in time to see Buu and Mr. Satan grab Chase and whisk him off to safety and breathed a sigh of relief... that became a scream as Pan dodged a well-aimed stream of water that would have turned them both into beached whales. "Relax, Kas. If you get worked up, then I'll get worked up and then we'll be screwed." Pan snapped, glancing over her shoulder. To her surprise, there was no one there. "Hey, I think they got lost or-" she cut off with a scream as cold water splattered all over her and Kassie.

Trunks grabbed her and pinned her arms down as she began to thrash, desperate tears trickling down her face. Her lower body transformed into its aquatic form, and she completely broke down. First she lost her family, and then she lost Trunks, but now her _freedom_. It was too much for her to take.

"Beautiful specimen, aren't they?" Bebi asked coolly, eyeing Gohan and Trunks with a malicious smirk. "Yes, Lord Bebi." They said in their monotonous voices; not giving the barest hint that their hosts were fighting against them with every fiber of their being. '_Damn it, my daughter's not an animal!_' Gohan roared. His fuse had been burned down and he was sick of this; of being an instrument to torture his children. '_She is rather beautiful... just take a look at that body-_' Bebi jumped as Gohan's ki flared and glared at him, "learn to control your ki, slave!" Trunks watched with interest; _Gohan must be pissed_. The Tuffle in Gohan's head forced the ki down and gained control over his body again, '_do that again and you'll get us killed, fool!_' Gohan snorted, '_I'd rather be killed then let you control my body!_'

"Find a tank to keep them in until it's time to move to our new home." Bebi ordered, "Now! You two," he pointed to Trunks and Goten, "keep the two of them from getting away, and make sure there's no way they can dry themselves off. They'll be more difficult to keep contained with legs than with a tail." Gohan and Bra set off in search of a tank, leaving Trunks and Goten alone. "Let's find a small pond or something." Goten suggested. "Lead the way." Trunks hefted Pan into his arms bridal style and followed his fellow minion. Pan kept her head down, face concealed by her long thick hair, but the _real_ Trunks could easily tell that she was weeping.

_Panny, I'm so sorry_, he thought sadly, longing to run his hands through that silky hair and press kisses to her soft, porcelain cheeks; anything that would make her feel better. _How can I possibly make her feel better? Her family's betrayed her, I've betrayed her, who knows what happened to Goku back there, and she's going to be held captive like some kind of fish in an aquarium. How are we ever going to earn back her trust after this blows over... if it blows over. If something doesn't happen soon, she'll have to spend the rest of her life as Bebi's pet..._

* * *

**Three in a row, maybe four if I can work out the kinks in the next chapter. Basically, what has happened is that Goku is 'dead' right now, Chase is with Buu and Mr. Satan, and Pan and Kassie are, more or less, Bebi's pets. Everyone is possessed; some of them are fighting against it. Next chapter will take place on Planet Vegeta or Plant, whatever you want to call it. The Tsufuru-jin home planet. To those who aren't versed in the Japanese terms, Tsufuru-jin is a Tuffle, basically. Maybe I'll use it next chapter, because I like it. Alright enough. Another thing, I'll start answering questions asked in reviews in the beginning AN's of each chapter. Much Love, SukiChan12^-^**


	20. Good or Bad Thing, Goku goes Ozzaru

**Chapter twenty! Yay! Alright, we'll start off with the girls, and then skip to Chase. Goku will be making his way back towards the end of the chapter, after he finishes his game with Suguro and then getting his tail back with Elder Kai. Instead of just going straight to the Tsufuru-jin planet, we'll start with the wish and work our way to that point. I outlined this chapter to cover episodes fifteen through eighteen, but it might not end up that way. We'll see.**

'_blah_'- possessed person to Bebi; Bebi to possessed person

_blah- _regular thought process.

'_blah_'- telepathy

* * *

**Chapter 20: Return of Planet Tuffle, Goku's Struggle, and Pan's Plight**

* * *

Pan lay in the shallow water of the tiny, swamp-like pond she'd been dropped in, nursing the burns on her tail that had transcended over from her legs when she was captured. Trunks and Goten, her ever present guards, watched both her and Kassie closely, making sure that they made no escape attempts. _Where would we go, _Kassie lamented, scooting closer to Pan, _the entire planet is turned against us, so even if we managed to miraculously get out of this crap hole of a pond, dry off, and drop off of their radar, we'd still be screwed_.

"Panny," she whispered soothingly, "do you want me to heal-" Pan was shaking her head in the negative before she even finished the question, "I'll live." She frowned, "Those open burns on your tail are bound to get infected if you don't let me heal them, and who know what'll happen if you get sick." Pan replied monotonously, "When mermaids get sick, the scales on our tails fade to a washed out white and we're incredibly weak and need others to do things for us. An open wound can't cause that, and even if it does... I don't care. Why should I?" Kassie gasped, "You can't just give up like this-"

Pan huffed, "Yes, I can. My Grampa; the last hope to this _downturn_ of a planet, is _dead_, I don't know where my brother is, my entire family and the love of my life have turned against me, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life as the show fish for a soon-to-be intergalactic overlord. _Why_ should I _care_ _anymore_, Kassie? Tell me _that_." Kassie opened her mouth to reply, but jumped as Goten and Trunks approached.

"They found a tank for the two of you at the aquarium. We need to head there, now." Pan blinked and looked down, "Why are you telling us this? It's not like we don't know that we're going to be prisoners." Kassie winced at the lack of emotion; of _life_, in her voice. "Whatever, let's just go." Goten reached out to pick Pan up, but Trunks spoke up, "_I'll_ take this one." Goten shrugged and moved over to Kassie and roughly hefted her into his arms. Trunks picked Pan up and cradled her gently. "Why are you doing this?" she asked dully. "Doing what? I'm just doing what Lord Bebi requests of me-" she shook her head, "Why are you torturing me like this? Isn't it enough that I'm your leader's pet?" Trunks frowned, "I still don't-"

"You have access to his memories, don't you?" When the Tuffle nodded, she whispered, "You know I'm in love with him and you continue to force me to look into his face, knowing he's not the one behind those crystal blue eyes... I guess it can't be helped. I have saiyan blood in me and your kind isn't too fond of us, so any pain we receive from your presence is a plus in your eyes." With that, she pulled some of her hair over her shoulder so it would shield her from his painful gaze...

'_Your girl sure knows how to lay it on thick..._' the Tuffle whispered to Trunks, and the saiyan Prince heard the barest hint of remorse in his voice. '_She's so innocent... I wish there was something I could do for her._' The Tuffle continued, '_but Lord Bebi would have our head, and that would only make things worse for her._' Trunks sighed, '_I see some of you Tuffles have good intentions, even if it doesn't seem like it._' The Tuffle chuckled humorlessly, '_Just because Bebi created us doesn't mean we're all like him. He just controls us to a certain extent. You have a lovely girl here, by the way, and I'm sorry she's in so much pain._' Trunks sighed, '_could you make sure she takes care of those burns? I'd hate for her to get sick._' The Tuffle gave his ascent, and things were silent between the two as the flight to Capsule Corp commenced.

*At CC*

"Get my prize fishes ready for transport. It's nearly time to leave this world for our home planet!" Bebi gestured to two relatively small tanks. The girls would only have room to lay flat on their backs, nothing more. "Lord Bebi, isn't that a bit small?" Trunks asked curiously. "There will be a bigger tank waiting on our planet. They'll live until then." Bebi snapped, and rushed outside, "I'm going to make the wishes." Trunks laid Pan in one of the tanks, careful to make sure none of her hair or limbs was stuck under her body. Once that was done, he closed the top and plugged it up to the water hose, filling it up with water.

_So this is what those poor fish in the pet stores have to deal with_, Pan surmised, looking at all the staring mind slaves. Her mother was amongst them, and she felt pain in her heart just looking at her, so she looked elsewhere. The tank was completely full, and it was then sealed shut to keep her inside. _Like I could ever dream of escaping them. Why are they being so protective? My grandfather is dead, my brother is... who knows, and I have no remaining friends or family to turn to_. She sighed and laid flat in the tank, waiting for someone to carry her somewhere. Soon the tank was picked up, and she heard ominous thunder outside. _The dragon must be granting his wish..._

*On the transport ship*

"Lord Bebi, is there anything else you want me to do?" Bulma asked softly. "When we get to our new home... have our pets fitted for shock collars. I want them to be able to do some tricks when I command them to do so... and keep a watch out for that saiyan scum's grand brat. The boy survived his wounds, but I don't know where he is." Bulma bowed, "Yes, my Lord," and left the ship to make preparations. Bebi smirked to himself as she left; _I've stolen your family and friends from you, and made a pet out of your precious little granddaughter. I don't know where that boy is, but when I find him, I'll smash his skull in my hands! None of your barbaric breed will survive, Son Goku!_

*Planet Vegeta*

Once the former saiyan prince and his closest subordinates arrived on planet Vegeta, the first order he gave was for his fishes to be placed in their new home. The tank took up one whole wall of the throne room, and the top had a seal placed on it to keep them in. Beforehand, Bulma fitted each girl with black shock collars, made to look like decorative chokers. Their diminished size did nothing but hide the severity of the shock capability from unsuspecting eyes.

"Absolutely amazing creatures, they are..." Bebi purred, watching the two girls hide themselves away from the watching eyes by burrowing into the corners. "Where is the remote for the collar?" He asked, glancing at his Tuffle Queen. "Here, Lord Bebi." Bulma grabbed a small blue remote from a counter. The remote was fitted with a severity meter, as well as a button to activate the collar. Bebi took the remote and examined it closely with a seemingly permanent smirk. His thumb came down on the red button, and his evil cackles began to echo around the room.

*Meanwhile*

"We've got to get on that planet." Chase said fiercely, staring at his maternal grandfather and his good friend, Mister Buu, "but how? They'll recognize us immediately and we'll be killed." _And I'm of no use to Kassie and my sister dead, _he intoned silently. Buu seemed to really be contemplating a way to get onto the newly reborn planet Vegeta.

"Oh, I know," the former monster spoke up, "Buu swallow you and use disguise to get on ship and get onto planet." Chase and Mister Satan's eyes widened. Sure enough, that did seem like a full proof plan. "What about when we get onto the planet?" The son of Gohan asked, and Buu frowned, "Buu don't know." Hercule and Chase shared an exasperated glance and promptly sweat dropped. Buu stared at them, disinterested.

"Alright, let's just... get on with this so we can figure out this mess and save the girls." Chase stood up and shook his head free of any haziness. _I honestly can't see a solution to this crap without Grandpa here to help. Without him, we don't stand a chance._

*Executing the plan*

Buu was disguised as a tall man, about mid-twenties, with a mop of blonde hair and dark blue eyes. He wore a simple blue button down and some black slacks with matching shoes. He made his way over to the queue of waiting mind slaves to get onto the transport to the newly wished-up home planet. With his keen eyesight, he noticed a possessed Krillin waiting in line and slid in front of him lithely.

"Hey," the seasoned Z-Fighter said, placing a hand on the disguised Majin's shoulder, "You have to wait like everyone else. Back of the line." Buu coughed and made his voice deeper, "I'm sorry. Just a little anxious to get to the new planet." Krillin chuckled, "Yeah, I can see why you'd be so worked up, but everyone has to wait their turn, bud." At that moment, the queue began to move, and the line was cut off right in front of Krillin. "Sorry about that." Buu said apologetically as he boarded the last ship to the new world.

Krillin deflated; bemoaning the task of explaining to his wife why they weren't able to get seats on the very last available ship. The thought of her reaction alone was enough to send chills running down his spine. Gathering up every ounce of courage he could find, he made his way back to where he left his wife and daughter, humming a funeral march under his breath as he went. _Please don't kill me, Juu, _he thought to himself, _I tried my hardest._ He knew, however, that she wouldn't see it that way.

*Arriving on the planet*

'_Alright, Buu, find some place private and let us out of here._' Chase ordered from within Buu. '_Alright. Buu do that_.' Buu carefully slipped away from the crowd and carefully surveyed his surroundings before releasing Chase and Hercule from his stomach.

"Now what?" Hercule asked his grandson. Chase was just like his father when it came to making strategies and plans. The former was currently pacing, his brows furrowed over his periwinkle eyes. His teeth were nibbling at his bottom lip. "How about I have a look around, and then we'll go from there after I get a layout of the place?" He suggested, looking up from his brainstorming session.

"Is that _safe_?" Hercule asked at once, fearing for his grandson's safety. "Does it _matter_? Who knows what that parasite has done to Pan and Kassie by now? How are we supposed to save them if we don't have anything to base a plan on?" Chase retorted, clenching his fists, "If we can find out where they're keeping them, then we can get them out of there if the others leave them alone long enough. We'll have to lay down their schedule."

*Meanwhile*

_This is hopeless_, Kassie thought to herself as she leaned against the back wall of the tank, glaring at the feathery edges of her fins. If there was any time she wished she wasn't a mermaid, it would be now. All this tail had gotten her was trouble and lots of her. Her parents were one of the billions of slaves to a galactic overlord parasite, and she was, more or less, his pet. She fingered the black collar around her neck with a grimace, remembering the horrible pain she'd gone through when Bebi decided to "test" the functions. Her screams of pain rang in her ears even now.

Pan was curled up dejectedly in a corner of the tank, thick trendils of dark hair falling over her face. Her hands were clenched against her chest as she sobbed for all she'd lost. _How did things end up this way_, she wondered, _what have we done to deserve this?_ She wanted, more than anything, to wake up. To just sit up and find herself back home with her family and Trunks; the madness of the Grand Tour and Bebi left far behind in her wild, imaginative psyche. _Like that'll ever happen, I've pinched, scratched and bitten myself, so I'm pretty sure this isn't a dream_.

Pan's webbed hand pressed against the side and she sent out a pulse of ki-riddled magic, searching for the presence of her twin. _Perhaps he made it onto the planet somehow... if he survived his injuries. If Bebi found out about him living, he'd hunt him down immediately_. Suddenly, a brilliant flare of energy filled her mind, and she sat up, smiling softly.

Kassie glanced at her in question and linked with her telepathically, '_What is it, Pan?_'

'_Chase is alive. He's here, on the planet._' Pan replied excitedly. It felt wonderful to have hope again, even if it was only a small flare in her heart.

Kassie gasped, filled with fear for her boyfriend, '_But... if Bebi finds him-_'

Pan shook her head at her, '_Chase has been trained expertly, Kas, he knows better than to reveal himself to the enemy on a whim_.'

Kassie heaved a sigh of relief, and then frowned, '_What good is him being here if he can't do anything to help?_'

Pan looked down at her lap, '_I don't know, Kas, but at least we know he's alive. That's the best news we've gotten all day. I'm going to try to contact him._'

*With Chase*

_How do I figure out which building they'd be kept in_; Chase wondered to himself, flying stealthily above the buildings. _This is harder than I thought it would be._ He noticed a crowd of people and began to follow them, curious as to where they were headed. He had an hour to get an idea of the layout of this place, but, in reality, he had an hour until his maternal grandfather developed an aneurysm out of worry.

Chase noticed his mother flying about the people and tried to duck out of sight, but her sharp blue eyes caught him before he could phase out... and she was on him; faster than he'd ever seen her move in his life. The heel of her foot came down on her shoulder blade. _Hard_. He cried out in surprise; not pain, as he slammed into the ground. Chase quickly hopped to his feet as his mother came in for a graceful landing, her long black hair flowing around her face. She looked so much like Pan at that moment that he could only stare, even though her lips were moving.

"How nice of you to join us, saiyan scum." _That _got his attention. He shot his possessed mother a heated glare, knowing that it wasn't his mother behind those periwinkle eyes, but something more sinister. She gave a carefree giggle that sounded so _wrong_ in his mother's soft, contralto voice and smirked at him, "What? No greeting for your dear _Mama-_"

"Don't even kid yourself. You're _not_ my mother." He snapped, glowering at her. A brief flash of hurt highlighted her eyes, and he felt a smidgen of remorse, but pushed it down. It didn't matter that this was his mother's body, because the enemy was residing within it.

'_Oh kami, my little boy..._' Videl sobbed, yearning to reach out and cup his face. The cool set of his jaw made him look so much like Gohan that it took her breath away. '_How can you love this barbarian?_' the Tuffle asked with not cruelty, but curiosity. '_He's my son... I can't help but love him._' Videl replied, watching him closely, '_Please, don't hurt him._' The Tuffle sighed, '_That isn't a part of my agenda. Your husband is approaching._' Videl was ready to start crying again; knowing the Tuffle inhabiting her husband's body wasn't quite as understanding as the one in hers.

Chase broke the staring contest between himself and his "mother" when a rush of air caught his attention. To his horror, his "father" was coming in for a landing. A brief flash of discomfort brushed over Videl's face, and he frowned slightly. Did the Tuffle in his mother not like the Tuffle in his father? He felt a spark of pain, wondering if they were aware of this. _If they are,_ he lamented silently, _then they must be suffering_.

"Nice catch." Gohan said brusquely, placing an arm on Videl's shoulder. Her face creased into a frown, and she pulled away from him. Gohan's face morphed into an outraged expression before he tamed it and took in the boy; no, _young man_ standing before him, "Lord Bebi's slapped _quite_ the bounty on your head if you happened to show up alive, monkey."

Chase furrowed his brows, "Oh? Well, in that case, you'll have to give him my regards, because I'm not going anywhere near him."

Gohan smirked, "What about that lovely little sister of yours? Aren't you worried about her and her little friend? Bebi's got quite a beautiful set of pet mermaids if I do say so myself."

Chase's jaw dropped as the Tuffle's words sunk in. _Pet? As in Lígi? Oh kami... oh kami, no... No, no, no, no... Not Pan, not Kassie, oh kami..._ As his mind struggled to process the news, a bright golden blaze of ki began to flare around his feet, growing brighter and brighter as he began to pace and pull on his dark locks. Finally, he whipped around to face his parents, a teal glow slowly overtaking the blue of his eyes, "Where is he keeping them?"

Gohan smirked at him, "Why'd we tell you that? Do we look stupid to you?" Videl was looking unsure and worried as she watched the flaring golden ki begin to grow. Bits of blue lightning began to warp around Chase's body, and the Tuffle quickly asked her host what was about to happen.

'_It's about time..._' Videl said in reply, an echo of pride in her voice, '_His hidden potential is about to reveal itself... at least some of it. I suggest you move away from the area, because things will get nasty if he gets any more worked up_.'

She'd known for a long time that her son was much like his father in the fact that they were always meant to be the strongest of their generations, marked by a maelstrom of strength and power hidden within themselves from a very young age. It would only begin to reveal itself once they either got angry or got into a dire situation _and_ got angry. If things kept going the way they were, she wouldn't be surprised if Chase managed to reach the third level of Super Saiyan. He'd been just a hairsbreadth away from the second level before he left for space.

"No, you don't... but that can be arranged." Chase snapped back, clenching his fists. He'd never felt this much rage within himself at one time before in his life, but the thought of _his Kassie_ as Bebi's pet... He growled savagely and flared his ki. His very blood boiled and sang in his ears, yearning for bloodshed and vengeance. Bebi wasn't going to get away with imprisoning _his Kassie_ and treating her like a common animal... He tilted his head back and gave a primal scream as a powerful ki ripped through his body, overtaking any common sense he had left.

The Tuffle in Gohan's head nearly trembled with fear as the massive ki before him pressed heavily against his body, trying to push him down into a submissive position. Golden light and blue lightning warped around a cloud of golden ki, shielding Chase from view. Gohan watched silently, full of both pride and fear for his only son. He knew, without a doubt, that Bebi could sense the surge of ki, and would be here shortly to deal with the source. _Chase..._

"Well, well, well... my wonderful slaves, you found the brat. Now _execute_ it." Bebi came in for a leisurely landing, Trunks, Goten, and Bra flying behind him like the dutiful slaves they were. Gohan whipped around to face his master as Chase's scream died down, and the cloud of ki began to dissipate.

Chase was poised in his stance... in _SSJ2_. Pale blue lightning crackled around his form as he examined his enemy with his sharp eyes. His gaze zeroed in on Bebi, and he phased across the expanse of land and struck him in the face with a force that was enough to move galaxies. Bebi gave a yowl of pained surprise as blood trickled down his chin from a broken nose.

"You brat," he tried to grab Chase, but he had phased out again, "get back he-" A hard boot collided with the back of his neck, sending him sprawling across the grass. His minions watched in shocked horror. Bebi tried to force himself back up onto his feet, but Chase was there, a foot planted firmly on the center of the small of his back.

"_Tell_ me where they are, Bebi, and I'm _not_ taking no for an answer." Chase snarled, nearly panting with his rage. His fingers curved into claws that yearned to sink into the flesh of this cretin and tear him to shreds. However, he needed answers first. Bebi tried to raise himself up once more, but Chase pushed his face down into the dirt, "If you won't answer me, then perhaps you'll prefer eating dirt... you know... where _worms_ live."

Playing on Vegeta's fear of worms did the trick. Bebi screamed, "_Let me up, brat, let me up and I'll talk_!" Chase chuckled coldly and flipped Bebi onto his back with a kick to the ribs. The so-called '_fearless_' leader whined in pain, and his punisher could only smirk viciously, greedily soaking up the heady power he had over him.

"Well," Chase said threateningly, "speak, parasite-" a ki blast slammed into his chest at point blank range, sending him flying backwards. Bebi cackled and began to fly towards him, but stopped when a figure materialized between them, "What on-"

"Uub?" Chase whispered, slowly coming out of his rage. Uub didn't turn, too focused on the parasite in front of him, "You killed Goku." Bebi shrugged, "and what if I did, fool?" His answer was a swift, clean roundhouse kick to the face that sent him crashing through a nearby mountain face. Uub turned to face Chase, "Get out of here. I'll handle him."

Chase started to argue, but soon beat his saiyan instincts down and surveyed his odds with a clear mind. So, he'd managed to gain an advantage over Bebi, but he quickly got the upper hand back. Even if he could handle Bebi on his own, there was no way he could take on his father, uncle, and Trunks all at once as well. With a frustrated sigh, he left the scene. _I'll find you, Kassie_, he vowed, _and when I do, I'll never let you go again._

*With the girls*

Pan abandoned her attempts to contact her brother with a groan, '_He's too pissed, I can't get a connection if he's not thinking straight._' Kassie sighed sadly, '_I wish I knew where he was._' Pan nodded in agreement, '_Me too, Kassie._' The two of them curled up in the far corners of the tank, lamenting their situation.

_Goodness, Chase, what's going on out there that's got you so riled up?_ Pan wondered; _I've never felt you this angry before in my life..._ She sighed and hugged her tail to her chest, _I wish the Grand Tour never happened..._

_I miss you, Chase,_ Kassie thought sadly, _I wish I could see your smiling face again, but I doubt that's going to happen, what with us on lockdown, and you on the run from Bebi..._ she ran a hand through her long brown hair, and a pearl trickled down her cheek, glistening in the dim light from outside of the tank, _I wish we'd never gone on that stupid trip through space. Maybe we'd be better apart by choice than to be forced away from each other._ More pearls fell as the mermaid imagined her life without Chase in it.

*With Chase*

Chase gasped aloud from his position next to his grandfather, "K-Kassie?" Her presence had filled his mind so strongly in that moment; it was like he _was_ her. He could feel the dampness of the water in the tank, feel the pearls flowing from her eyes, and sense her harrowing sadness. She _needed_ him. Kami, if only he knew where she was...

Emboldened, Chase began to focus, trying to see if he could follow her presence and find her. With his eyes closed, it was like a path had been lain out for him to follow, and he grinned.

"Grandpa, I found them." He reported, glancing at his grandfather. Mister Satan started to ask him where they were, but he only felt a whoosh of air as his grandson rushed off to go find his sister and his love.

_I'm coming, Kas, don't be sad_, Chase grinned to himself as he made his way towards her; he had to hurry, as the path was slowly fading, but abruptly froze as a new presence washed over him, startling him with its familiarity.

"G-Grampa _Goku_?"

Chase shook his head; he had to get to the girls before he lost the trail. With a sharp kiai, his ki blazed and he rocketed across the sky, headed towards a strange looking tower. It was the tallest of any building in the immediate area, and he found himself wondering why he didn't look there in the first place. _Here I come, Kassie_.

'_Chase?_'

Chase frowned, '_Panny, is that you?_' there was a slight giggle, '_What other voices do you randomly hear in your head?_' he snorted, '_Whatever, I'm headed straight towards you._' He felt her joy, '_Thank goodness, but be careful. I don't know where Bebi is._' Chase grinned, '_I just thrashed him not too long ago. He isn't dead, by any means, but I did embarrass him in front of his... slaves._' Pan gasped, '_How?_'

'_I kinda ascended. I got pissed at the situation we're stuck in. By the way, Grandpa's not dead._' Chase replied, and her reply was a scream, '_WHAT?!_' He jumped and rubbed his ears out of habit, '_Way to go Granny Chichi on my ears, Panny._' Pan was apologetic, '_Sorry, bro, but... He's alive? As in flesh and blood alive?_' Chase nodded, '_I sensed him not too long ago. He was headed towards Bebi and Uub._'

Chase had arrived at the tower, and he slipped into the windows at the very top, taking in the room. There, along the far wall, was a tank, full to the brim with water. He ran over to it and pressed his hands against the tank, trying to see into the water. Slowly but surely, Pan and Kassie came towards the front of the tank, little webbed hands pressed against the glass.

'_Chase! Oh kami, you came!_' Kassie smiled, happy pearls running down her cheeks, '_I missed the crap of you; you sexy beast._' Chase blushed, '_I missed you, too, beautiful girl._' Her smile broadened, and she kissed the place where his hand touched the glass. '_Enough, love birds,_' Pan cut in, '_You need to break this tank- LOOK OUT!_'

At his sister's mental cry, Chase whirled around... and got hit in the chest with an electric cattle prodder like device by Bulma. He heard his sister and girlfriend beating against the glass as he crumpled to the ground, trembling from the force of the shock.

"Too much for you, monkey brat?" Bulma asked harshly, and then shot a hard look at the two frantic mermaids, "settle down before I turn on the shock collars, fishies!"

"Ugh, you bitch!" Kassie screeched in reply, "I'll rip you damn face off! How dare you touch him!?" Her hands balled up into fists as she cursed and snarled at the Bulma-Tuffle under her breath. Pan heaved a sigh, wishing she could use her ki in her aquatic form. If that had been possible, she would've busted both of them out of her a long time ago.

"Bebi will be pleased." Bulma turned the shock level up and pressed it in Chase's neck, "time to sleep, monkey. Night-night." She hit the button, and Chase's entire body shuddered strongly before going limp, save for a few twitches as left-over volts warped through his body.

_We're doom-_ An explosion of ki caught Pan's attention, and she turned to gaze at the window. While she and Kassie had been raging at Bulma, her grandfather had been facing off against Bebi, and now his ki had just sprung wildly out of control. There was only one time a saiyan's ki ever got that wild, and she knew, without a doubt, that things had just gotten a bit more difficult.

_Grandpa's gone into the Oozaru state..._

**God, finally! It's been so long since I last updated this poor story, because this chapter is being an uber bitch to finish. I had Writer's Block out of the wazzoo, I swear. If the chapter doesn't make much sense to you, it's because I'm not following any particular episode at the moment. Next chapter will, hopefully, end the Bebi Saga. I'm not doing Super Seventeen OR the Shadow Dragons because I really want to time skip to Pan being seventeen because that's where our dear friend Nevus comes back into play. Don't worry, if I change my mind about this, I'll write a bit about hunting the Dragons, but I make no promises, because I HATE GT. The entire thing makes no sense to me, and following along with episodes has only broadened my hatred for it. R&R or not, at this point I really don't care what you do. Sorry about the small rant, but I'm in a bit of a pissy mood.**

**Much Love, SukiChan12**


	21. Bebi's Downfall

**Alright, last chapter, we stopped with Chase getting the crap electrocuted out of him and Goku going ape on Bebi. Alright, this chapter will have to include Goku going SSJ4, Bebi going ape, Goku and Bebi's fight, Chase waking up from the electrocution and giving Goku the boost he needs to go SSJ4, a bit of commentary on the girls' parts, everyone coming out from under Bebi's control, Goku winning, and the girls getting out of the tank... in that exact order. I outlined it like this for a reason that will come clear next chapter.**

**BTW, after I get the next chapter up, AO will have to go on a temporary hiatus of maybe four weeks, because doing a big time skip, three, nearly four years, will call for lots of outlining and preparation, kind of like a TV show switching seasons. In other words, I know what I want to do with it, but I don't have it laid out yet. Don't worry though; the wait will be worth it. Enjoy the chapter.**

**One last thing, the Earth will be destroyed and wished back in the next chapter, because I can't end ALL of the Bebi Saga in just ONE chapter. Hehe, if I could, that would be awesome, but I have enough trouble sitting still and writing as it is. I think it might be RLS or something. (Restless Leg Syndrome) I like to move around because that's how I get my inspiration. Enough about me, let's get this party started!**

**ANOTHER thing. When we start off the next "season" I will switch to first person, because that's where I thrive. I can do both first and third person, no problem, but I prefer to do first person. ALRIGHT, NOW I'M DONE!**

**Start Date: April 20, 2013**

* * *

'_blah_'- possessed person to Bebi; Bebi to possessed person

_blah- _regular thought process.

'_blah_'- telepathy

* * *

**Chapter 21: Super Sayiajin Four; Bebi's Downfall**

* * *

_This is so not good_, Pan thought, looking towards the window worriedly. Kassie frowned at her, '_Panny, what's wrong?_'

'_Grandpa just went bonkers._'

Kassie frowned, '_Bonkers? Care to elaborate that?_' Pan shot her a look, and she waved her hands apologetically, '_Sorry to pry._'

'_This could either turn the odds in our favor or Bebi's, so you'd better hope it's our favor this thing is going in._'

'_I thought your grandfather was dead..._'

'_... you know what? Forget I said anything. I'm going to try to wake Chase up with my magic._' Pan sighed at her friend, who suddenly seemed so out of the loop.

'_How? You don't know a wake up spell._'

'_Doesn't mean I can't wing it._' Pan replied, conjuring mystical ki into her palms, _I wonder why I can't use regular ki in this form, but mystical ki isn't a problem... I'll worry about that later._

Pan pressed her hands against the glass, pushing a bit more magic into the spell to get it through the glass, _I hope this works..._

When the light blue light came into contact with Chase, he jumped but didn't wake, and Pan groaned, _that one was too weak..._ She bit down on her bottom lip, calling forth more mystical ki, _This time I'll make it count. At least the spell was close enough to a wake up spell and didn't turn him into a whale or something... now that would suck_...

When Pan began to conjure the next magical spell, Bulma entered the room, and she dispelled it, nearly growling in irritation as the woman walked past, into another room. Once she was gone, she turned to Kassie, '_Help me with this, it'll take a lot of magic._' Kassie nodded and placed her hands on Pan's shoulder blades, pouring her own magic into her, '_Alright, go for it._' Pan nodded, pooling their combined magic into her palms.

Pan gave a shout as she pushed the spell through the glass wall. The bright blue light hit Chase, and he leapt to his feet with a yelp of surprise. Bulma, luckily, wasn't in the room. He whirled to look at the tank as Pan and Kassie sagged weakly against the wall.

'_Pan? Kas?_' He reached out telepathically.

'_We're fine, Chase, go help Grampa._' Pan said softly, and then grunted, 'That glass is seriously thick.'  
Chase pressed his hands against the spots were Kassie's were, and she looked up at him with a soft smile, '_Go get 'em Tiger,_' and kissed the spots where his hands lay. He returned the favor, '_I love you, Kassie._'

Pearls dribbled down her cheeks, '_I love you, too._' Chase stepped back and frowned, "are you sure you don't want me to break you out, first?" the girls nodded, '_We'll only get in the way._' He nodded once and left through the window. Kassie watched him go worriedly, '_I hope you slipped a bit of a healing spell into that wake up spell for the shocks._' Pan nodded, '_I'm nothing if not thorough._' The two mermaids settled in for the most suspenseful wait of their lives.

Bulma burst into the room, looking for Chase, and when she came up empty, she turned her gaze to the weakened mermaids in the tank and screeched, "You little brats, you helped him escape!" Pan closed her eyes as Bulma grabbed ahold of the remote for their shock collars and stabbed the button with a manicured nail...

*Chase*

Chase jolted as he felt Kassie's pain through their sustained mental connection. It almost made him turn back, but he knew that she wouldn't want him to do that. He steeled himself and kept flying, forcing back the rage he felt as her screams echoed through the back of his mind. He had to find a way to calm his grandfather down before things started to go sour.

"Grampa!"

The golden Oozaru roared and flattened a building by slapping Bebi straight through it. Chase had to chuckle when the parasitic overlord didn't come up right away to do battle once more, but instead retreated to his precious tower. Once he was gone, Chase reached into his wallet and pulled out an old, worn picture. He hoped that it would be enough to soothe his grandfather's rage and, perhaps, give him clarity of the situation.

If it didn't work, then all hope was lost.

*The tower*

"Woman, what are you doing? Give me that!" Bebi stormed into the main throne room of the tower and found his precious fish being tortured by his Queen. She whirled around to face him, fear in her eyes, "Oh, Lord Bebi, I apologize for this grave insult to your pride-"

"Shut up, slave!" Bebi snatched the remote from her hand and turned it off, walking over to the tank to check on his fish babies, "Did she hurt you madly, my dear sea angels?" Bulma watched, outraged.

"Why is it that those _fish freaks_ get treated better than _me_," she screamed, "I'm your _Queen_, dammit, and I should be respected _more_ than those things-" She never finished her rant.

Bebi had surged across the room and slapped her, sending her sprawling to the throne room floor. His chest heaved with rage as he took in her frightened, shocked form.

"You are _nothing_ but a _slave_ to me, woman. _How dare_ you have the _gall_ to call yourself a Queen, let alone _mine_? I rule _alone_; this is a dictatorship, not a _partnership_. Wipe that disgusting look of fear from your face and get out of my sight. I treat whomever I want _however_ I want. Either you _agree_," his blue eyes narrowed at her, "or you _die_. It's your choice."

Bulma whimpered as she scrambled to her feet and ran from the room, barely keeping her sobs at bay. Bebi watched her go, smirking superiorly, "Weak-minded little snot. How dare she speak to me; to _Lord Bebi_, in such a disrespectful manner? I should've ripped her disrespectful tongue from her blasphemous mouth."

*inside the tank*

Pan groaned and twitched as the aftershocks ran through her body. The fact that they were stuck underwater made the shocks that much more painful. Kassie whimpered and shifted her tail, flapping it gently to abate the pain, '_Why'd I let Chase leave?_'

'_Because you love him and you wanted him to be safe from Bebi._' Pan replied, '_He's as worried about you as you are about him, so don't make him turn back now. Bebi would pulverize him._' Kassie nodded shakily, and the both of them watched closely as Bebi paced the throne room, muttering to himself.

*outside the tank*

"I can't defeat that stupid saiyan while he's in that accursed Oozaru state," Bebi hissed, clenching his fists dangerously tight, "he keeps batting me out of the sky like a fly, and I can't do anything but try to dodge his blows. There must be some way I can cut him down to size, but how?"

'_Kakarot will make mincemeat out of you, fool._' Vegeta hissed in his mind, '_and you had some nerve to lay your hand on my mate. When I get you out of my body, consider yourself dead, you disgusting worm._ _No one, barring me and Kakarot's eldest, can go toe to toe with the likes of him. You'd be better off playing 'Swat the parasitic freak of a fly' with him._'

'_Oh?_' Bebi sneered, '_this coming from the saiyan who's been bested by this 'Kakarot' time and time again? And your mate? She might be your mate physically, but one of us 'disgusting worms' is the one behind those sparkling cerulean gems, calling the shots. Her body and mind are exquisite... you chose well. Do remind me to take advantage of that exquisite body of hers sometime soon._'

'_Over my dead body._' Vegeta sneered. '_I believe that would be 'my' dead body. You're simply a small downside to destroying the last of the saiyan race._' Bebi laughed maliciously, both aloud and in his mind, '_What better way to deliver the destruction of the saiyan race than by delivering by the hand of their precious Prince?_ _Tell me, how does it feel to know that you will be the instrument in the destruction of your own race? What? Nothing to say, Princey?_'

Vegeta remained silent, ignoring Bebi's jeering and malice. He knew that his time to draw vengeance for himself, his mate, and his heirs would come soon enough. He could almost feel it. Until then, he would bide his time, waiting for his chance to strike.

*Chase*

"Grampa, listen to me!" Chase yelled, holding the picture out desperately. He dug into his one-strap back pack and pulled out a small, midnight blue gi with an orange obi.

"Remember this? It was that day that we went to the beach; the day before the tenkaichi budokai when you met Uub. I'd wandered beyond the shallow water and nearly drowned, but you pulled me out. I wouldn't stop crying, and no one, not even Mom or Dad could get me to stop crying. You took me out of Dad's arms and said, '_Hey, champ, don't sweat it. It's just a little water up your nose._' I calmed down immediately and starting smiling like crazy and Grandma Chichi snapped this picture. See?"

Chase moved closer to Goku, holding the picture out so he could see it clearly, and then gestured to the little gi, "this is the gi I wore to the tenkaichi budokai, because I was fighting in the Junior Division. You and Dad put it together, combining your gi colors to make something unique for me to wear for my first year competing. I remember the both of you cheering from the sidelines when I defeated Wild Tiger. That was one of the most important memories of my childhood."

"Grampa, please, just calm down. We need you to defeat Bebi so things can go back to the way they were. You don't have to be so angry anymore." Chase begged, and then gasped as a large tear trickled down his grandfathers' Oozaru cheek, gliding along the golden fur to drip from his snout and make a splash on the ground far below.

"G-Grampa?"

Goku's golden furred body began to shake, and a mournful roar ripped from his throat. Chase backed away slowly, watching the emotional display with mixed emotions. To his surprise, his grandfather began to morph back. Not to his child form, no, but to his fully grown, adult form.

The fur all over Goku's body began to recede and clothing began to form on his body as he shrunk down to normal, human proportions. Golden fur on his head began to turn black and shift into a new, wilder version of usual spiky style. The fur on his arms, neck, and bordering his pectoral muscles turned from gold to a bright, almost pinkish-red. His canines remained elongated, and a pinkish red outlined his eyes, which were now a sinister gold.

"Holy HFIL, what the hell happened to Goku?" Mister Satan came to a halt next to his grandson, who was totally entranced by the sudden transformation. Goku came to land near them, looking at them with his intense golden eyes.

"Did I do all of this?" His voice was deeper, and much more gravelly; like Vegeta's. "Grampa, don't you remember? You turned to an Oozaru and wrecked a whole lot of havoc." Chase replied, coming to stand near him, "I helped you come to your senses."

"Great job, Champ." Goku said softly, ruffling his hair. He then looked around, confused, "where's Kassie and your sister?" Chase's face fell, "Bebi's holding them both captive in a tank, like their animals or something-"

Chase's rant was cut off as a low, menacing growl rumbled from Goku's chest, frightening him. "How can someone be so evil?" Goku asked no one in particular, "rest assured, he won't do this to anyone ever again when I'm through with him."

"Grampa?" Chase asked, "Do you think you'll ever get back to your normal self?" Goku shrugged, "Well, Chase," he paused to take a deep, almost suffering breath, "This body and its amazing powers are needed right now. It's the only way to defeat Bebi and save our family."

"That's right, Grampa. It's about time someone told that parasite that he can't screw around with the Son family and get away with it." Chase encouraged, clenching his fists, "I mean, I got things started, but he threw me off a bit."

"Then that's what I'll do. I know where Bebi's hiding right now, and, if everything goes smoothly, Earth and all her people will be back to normal by the end of the day. Mister Satan?" Mister Satan perked up, and Goku continued, "Look after Chase."

"_Excuse me_? I'll be the one doing the looking after if you leave him in charge. No offense, Gramps." Mister Satan shrugged, "None taken." Goku waved, and then launched into the air with a gust of ki that left Chase and Satan reeling.

*At the tower*

"I don't understand!" Bebi snarled, "How was he able to convert the energy from the earth? I need an answer on this. That blue haired wench," he turned to face the tank holding his prized pets, "where'd she get away to? I need her to sort this out." With that, he left the room to find Bulma.

'_Gosh, what an ass hat._' Pan sneered, watching him leave the room. '_Goodness, Panny, language._' Kassie chided gently. '_I'm pissed! How dare he treat her so cruelly, and then expect her to help him with his problem. Men._'

*Bebi*

"Wench!" Bebi screeched, finding Bulma alone in a bedroom, "come with me at once. I need your brain." Bulma wiped her face and nodded, following him back to the throne room, "Could you explain the issue, my Lord?" there was a computer across the room, and she took a seat before it.

"That saiyan scum, Goku transformed during our fight, and I want to know how!" Bebi yelled. "Well, the blutz waves he absorbed are only given off by the moon." Bulma replied coolly. "Why didn't it affect me? Why didn't it affect... _Vegeta_? Surely, if I'm in his body, then it would allow me to replicate it."

"_Vegeta_," Bulma whispered, "does not have a _tail_. The tail is what allows the blutz waves to manifest and absorb into a saiyan."

"Of course, those putrid barbarians and their precious _tails_." He stiffened and glanced towards the nearby window, "He's coming. I want a solution from you within _minutes_, not hours!"

"Yes, my Lord." Bulma said softly, bowing her head in submission. The wall suddenly imploded; dangerously close to where the tank was. Pan and Kassie moved away from the explosion, watching with frightened eyes. What was going to happen now?

'_I know that ki. It's Grampa!_' Pan looked expectantly towards the hole in the wall, waiting for him to appear. When he did, her eyes widened and her jaw fell, '_Grampa, is that you?_'

'_Yes, Panny, it's me. Are you and Kassie alright?_'

'_Yes, we're fine. They've been shocking the scales off of us, but hey, other than that, we're fine._'

"I found you... _Bebi_." Goku stepped onto the smooth tile, smirking sardonically at the intergalactic overlord, "Did you miss me?"

"Was the gorilla too much power for you to control, saiyan?" Bebi asked coolly, and Goku's smirk widened, "Was _that_ what you were trying to say when I smashed you through that _nth_ building? Gomen'nasai, I didn't _hear_ you... but your _screams_, on the other hand, I heard _loud_ and _clear_."

"So you were too weak to handle that power. How _disappointing_." Bebi said, gritting his teeth. _How dare he come in here and try to poke fun at me._

"Oh, yeah," Goku's smirk grew wider still, "This is _just another_ costume change for the _weakling saiyan_." As he said this, pale blue lightning crackled around his face, making the ends of his hair rise in a most sinister way. The raw ki made the computer Bulma was working on short out with a crackle of electricity, and Bulma cried out, turning to run from the room.

"Bulma!" Goku called out. He saw the bruise on her cheek and put the pieces together. Bulma froze and turned to look over her shoulder.

'_Oh, Goku,_' the real Bulma thought, '_you're a sight for sore eyes in this huge mess._' The Tuffle in her was frightened of Bebi, and wanted desperately to run to Goku and allow him to take her away from him, but the fear of Bebi's wrath was stronger than her desire for freedom.

"_Don't _call me _that_," Bulma sneered, "don't act like you know me, saiyan, you are my _enemy_... and _nothing_ _more_." She narrowed her blue eyes at him and set her mouth in an angry scowl, "and _very _soon your _death_ will be at hand."

'_Please buy it_,' Bulma internally begged Bebi, '_Please don't figure me out._'

"Bulma..." Goku said again, and the real Bulma recoiled at the disappointment in his voice, '_Oh, Goku, I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me..._' she cackled evilly under her breath, smirking widely at him.

Golden eyes flicked to Bebi's blue ones, and he hissed, "Bebi, I will _never_ forgive you for this."

Bebi was infuriated, "You _fool_," he screamed, "I'd _die_ before I'd ever ask for your forgiveness, saiyan!"

As Bebi was preparing to lunge, Goku's golden eyes flicked to the tank behind the ornate silver throne. His rage was piqued as he noticed Pan and Kassie trapped inside like animals. Pan looked up and swam to the front of the tank, '_Grampa?_' He gave her a wink, and she beamed brightly, pressing her webbed hands against the tank.

Bebi, noticing the exchange, asked haughtily, "You like my two new pets, saiyan? I must say, your granddaughter is a stunning specimen. Worthy of an overlord, I'd say. Not that it matters what _you_ think, because you'll be _dead_," and then lunged, knocking the two of them out of the tower.

_Kick his ass, Gramps_, Pan cheered silently, _I know you'll win._

* * *

**End Date: April 28, 2013**

* * *

**I scrapped the idea of finishing all of that in one chapter. I'm in desperate need of an update right now, and I'll finish them as they come to me. Have fun reading! SukiChan12^-^**


	22. End of An Era

**Alright, I've been thinking about the contents of this chapter, which probably won't be much. I've just got to kill Bebi and get the girls out of the tank. I'd wager three thousand words or less, but no less than two thousand. We'll start off with a bit of the fight between Bebi and Goku; mind you my fight scenes aren't all that good, and then cut to Chase. We'll bring in the Sacred Water and start freeing the Z-Senshi, and then get to the end of the fight. The next chapter will destroy Earth and kill off Piccolo, and deal with the aftermath of what Pan, Kassie, and Chase have experienced.**

**Pan isn't used to the things that the Z-Senshi have to deal with on a regular basis, and she's more accustomed to being showered in love and affection. Other than the times with Nevus and her Aunt, no one's ever really treated her in a negative way, so how do you think she'll feel after all of this? It'll take a while before she's truly integrated herself. There will be some bumps along the way, a large one being Nevus, but we won't be seeing him again until after the time skip.**

* * *

'_blah_'- possessed person to Bebi; Bebi to possessed person

_blah- _regular thought process.

'_blah_'- telepathy

* * *

**Alright, I'm done talking. Sorry for the insane waits between these updates, but things are coming down to the wire because graduation is less than a month away now. I need to get a few grades up, and sacrifices must be made to do so. I should be able to get a second update out before things get too intense, but I make no promises. Please don't be angry. On a lighter note, my birthday is on Sunday, and I'll be a free woman at last lol. Enough about my issues, let's get on to the story.**

**Start Date****: May 5, 2013**

* * *

**Chapter 22: The End of an Era**

* * *

'_Oh thank kami, no more electrosis._' Kassie projected, slumping against the wall of the tank with her apparent relief. Pan rolled her eyes and glanced at Bulma with slight worry. The woman was slumped against the desk she'd been working at, shivering with either relief or fear; Pan wasn't sure which one.

_Why am I worried about her? It's her fault these torture devices are strapped around our necks._ Pan sighed heavily; she couldn't just blame her for all of this mess, it wasn't just _her_ fault. _I swear, if I wasn't just trapped in here, I'd kick Bebi's ass myself... somehow._ Who was she kidding? She wasn't strong enough to bat a lash at her _father_ let alone Bebi.

_Papa..._

Pan's uplifted mood at her Grampa's arrival took a nosedive as she remembered the paralyzing fear and horror she felt when her father attacked her and Chase with such brutality. The hate in his eyes... never had anyone looked at her like that, but now, it seemed like it was in everyone's eyes, save for the few people who escaped Bebi's scourge on the planet.

'_When is Chase coming back?_' Kassie asked gently. '_I don't know, but it's too dangerous for him to try anything now. Not with this fight between Grampa and Bebi going on right outside._' Pan replied, resting her back against the siding of the tank, '_Might as well settle in for the wait._'

'_I hate waiting..._'

'_Ya don't say._'

*meanwhile*

Goku spun his body, hurling Bebi through several buildings upon release. He watched the smoke billow skyward with a smirk. A soft, cool breeze ran through his light red fur as he watched the wreckage for any sign of his assailant. There was a imperceptive twitch of his right eyebrow, and then the SSJ4 was parrying a strike that had come from behind, chuckling in his new, gravelly voice. Bebi glared at him, growls slipping through his bared teeth as he attempted to put some force behind the hit to push through and hit Goku in the face.

"Is that all you got?" Goku asked jokingly, "I'm disappointed. I mean, you _are_ in _Vegeta's_ body after all. I expected more of a show." Bebi hissed, "How dare you insult me, saiyan! You want a show; I'll give you a show!"

Taking his opponent by surprise, Bebi brought his knee up and buried it in Goku's gut, cackling at the whoosh of air leaving his lungs. Judging by his struggle to inhale, that'd been a direct hit to his diaphragm. Bebi let his head fall back, cackling heartlessly, "is that all it takes to make you crumble at my feet, scum? Are you truly a weak, soft piece of nothing! Are you- _AUGH_!"

Bebi barreled through a rock face, propelled by the force of Goku's right hook. The SSJ4 watched stoically for a moment, and then a brilliant golden ki flared up around him, and he rocketed after Bebi, a small smirk on his face.

As he told Chase before, this battle was going to be _too_ easy...

*Chase*

_Wow... look at Grampa go..._ Chase vaguely wondered if this was the way his father and uncle felt when they watched him fight as children.

_Dad..._

He didn't know what to think right now. As far as he knew, his parents were helpless slaves to Bebi's thrall, and weren't showing any signs of coming up for air. As much as he hated to admit it, he was afraid. Having spent his childhood without any intergalactic threats of this magnitude coming up, it was a bit strange to be thrown into the fray like this.

First, with the Grand Tour, and now, with Bebi's hostile takeover. His and Pan's lives were innocent, not riddled with life threatening battles against intergalactic threats. Even his mother had some idea of what to expect, while he was left hanging. Sure, he trained, but it was one thing to spar for fun or skill gain, and another to fight for your life.

His thoughts drifted to Kassie and Pan, and he quickly realized that he wouldn't be able to get past the ensuing battle that lay between him and the tower. First off, his Grampa would kill him if he tried, and, second, Bebi would kill him if he got within range, and _then_ Grampa would kill Bebi in return. He _really_ didn't want to die before he was able to marry Kassie and have little mermaid babies with her, so he would stay put.

'_How goes it, bro?_' Pan asked, and then caught his last thought, '_AWWW! Little mermaid nieces and nephews would be awesome... but, please, wait until you're twenty something first._' Chase blushed furiously, '_Pan! You can't just... ugh, never mind..._' Her giggle bubbled in his head, '_Awww, did I embarrass you? I only wanted to know how Grampa was doing. This tank is getting really old._'

'_He's thrashing Bebi within an inch of his life if that's what you're asking._' Chase replied, still blushing slightly. He hated when she slipped into his head when he was thinking about the future he wanted with Kassie.

'_Bulma's doing something on the computer again. I think she's trying to help Bebi gain an advantage._' Pan reported, peering out of the tank. Indeed, Bulma was typing away furiously on the computer, eyes bright with determination. Kassie was also watching, eyes narrowed, '_What can she do that could possibly help Bebi win?_'

'_I don't know, Kas,_' Chase replied, '_but give me a heads up if she does pull anything out._' Kassie's soft sigh echoed in his mind, '_We will, Chase. I love you._' Pan's presence left them, giving them privacy to share their feelings.

'_I love you, too. I'll see you soon._' Chase felt a wide, goofy grin spread over his face as he watched the fight. Their link remained intact, but it was slightly tuned out as Kassie turned her attentions to watching Bulma closely.

*Pan and Kassie*

Bulma was purely focused on the computer screen before her, mouthing words as her sharp blue eyes scrolled over the blueprint she'd managed to create in a matter of minutes. Pan and Kassie watched her like hawks, their blue eyes completely devoted to her form.

'_How much do you want to bet that whatever she comes up with will seriously hinder our chances of getting out of here?_' Kassie asked softly.

'_It's Bulma. Of COURSE whatever she comes up with will probably turn the tides outside. Why'd they have to possess Aunt Bulma?_' Pan sighed, '_She's the smartest woman on the planet..._'

Bulma shot up from her seat, smirking victoriously, "That should do it. Now, to get it built..." The highly acclaimed genius sauntered out of the room, but came to a halt before the tank, staring at the two mermaids silently.

"Just thought I'd let you know that your precious Grampa is about to go down hard. Especially after I get this machine built." The bluenette simpered, running a manicured nail over the thick glass. Pan's periwinkle eyes filled with both fear and malice. What did she plan to build?

"Tata, fish mongers. When this day is done, I'll be Bebi's revered queen, and you'll just be a pretty display in our throne room. Not much different than what you are right now, is it?" Bulma winked and left the room, cackling maliciously.

'_Chase? Bulma's got something planned. It's not going to be good..._' Kassie told him, '_We're probably doomed._'

'_Things are pretty much at a deadlock out here._' Chase replied, '_and don't be scared. If I know Gramps, he'll pull out on top._'

*outside*

'_Lord Bebi!_' Bulma's voice resonated through the Tuffle's mind, shocking him so till Goku managed to get a hard hit on his face. The parasitic overlord yowled in pain as he reared back, '_what is it, woman? It better be important!_'

'_I've found a way for you to be exposed to Blutz waves. I need ten minutes to get it ready._'

'_Ten minutes?! Woman, I don't have ten minutes!_'

'_That's as fast as I can manage._'

'_Fine! Get to it!_'

* * *

**(A/N: I'm scrapping the actual ending to the Bebi Saga and, thus, ending it quicker. Yes, there will be a blutz wave machine, but the waves won't hit Bebi... or Goku.)**

* * *

Bulma dropped the link and began to quickly construct the device that would bring about Bebi's victory. As she worked, she began to picture her new life as the Queen of an intergalactic overlord. With his newfound power, Bebi would be able to take over the entire universe...

Pan sank to the bottom of the tank and began to think. _What could she possibly build that would be able to help Bebi win, especially when Grampa's so powerful now?_ Nothing she considered seemed to fit the bill, and she was quickly becoming frustrated.

'_You too, huh?_' Kassie asked softly. '_Yep, I'm lost._' Pan replied dully, '_I guess we'll have to wait and see what she comes up with. Damn it, I hate being in the dark._'

'_I feel you, sister._'

Both of the mermaids were distracted as Bulma wheeled a large machine into the room and towards the balcony. The body of the machine was a light blue, and there was a large silver antenna aimed outside, at what they assumed was the fight between Goku and Bebi.

'_What the hell is she going to do with that?_' Kassie asked, incredulous.

'_Kassie, isn't it obvious?_' Pan asked softly, '_She's going to use that thing to charge Bebi up with enough power to kill Grampa and achieve what he's always wanted... to wipe saiyans from the face of the universe._'

'_Can't we do something?!_' Kassie was becoming frantic, '_We can't let this happen!_'

'_We can tell Chase, but that's about all we can manage from in here._' Pan hit the glass with her fist, frustration and uselessness washing over her, '_I hate this! I want to be able to do something more than give Intel and rot away in this stupid tank!_'

Kassie hugged her from behind, trying to get her to relax, '_I already told Chase to watch out for it. We'll get out of here soon, and then we can find a way to turn our families back to normal._'

Pan's body went rigid, and she bit her lip to fight off tears, '_Kas, I don't want to face them again... I'm so scared. I know in my heart that they aren't themselves, but I... I can't get my head around it. I'm scared of them, Kas, and I don't want to be._'

Kassie wrapped her arms around her friend tightly as she began to cry in earnest, copious amounts of iridescent pearl tears running down her cheeks. Pan snuggled into her hold, enjoying the warmth of her embrace as she sobbed like a guppy.

**(Mermaid Speak: Guppy=Baby.)**

*Chase*

_Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP!_

Chase shot up into a standing position, shocked by the information his girlfriend had sent him. His Grampa Hercule looked at him strangely, and then jumped as the demi flared into SSJ.

"Chase, son, what is it?"

"I'll be back in a second, Grampa." He replied softly, and then blasted skywards, leaving his bewildered Grampa behind. He had a machine to stop, and a Grampa to save.

*Bulma*

Bulma lined up the antenna with the grappling mass of limbs floating a couple hundred meters away from the tower. Her teeth sank into her lip as she waited desperately for her chance to take a shot at her precious Lord Bebi and give him the strength he needed to trump that waste of life saiyan and take over the universe. Together, they would be an unstoppable force. Little did she know, her carefully laid out plans were about to take a turn for the worse.

Chase came into range of the tower, just as Bulma was powering up the machine to take a shot at Bebi. The demi gritted his teeth and powered up to the second level, determined to stop her before she could get in at Bebi. His speed increased tenfold, and he found himself hurtling at a speed he'd once only dreamed of.

Bulma slammed her hand down on the button to fire the laser... and cried out in dismay as the half-saiyan brat from earlier came into the crosshairs of her shot, blocking the power from hitting its intended target, "No!"

Chase's body came alive with the intense energy, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was what it felt like to stick a paperclip in an electric socket. It was almost painful, but also a sharp tingle at the same time. He groaned aloud as the hot, sparking energy warped through his veins. He'd never felt so alive.

A bristling, growing pain at his tail bone made him scream out, and the ki that was keeping him afloat gave out. He began to fall as a new, furry limb ripped free from his pants with a horrible, hot pain. His body felt _too_ sensitive; the nerves were just so _alive_. He curled into a ball on the hard ground, struggling to cope with the new energy.

The backlash from Chase's absorption of the energy created a ripple effect that tore through the molecules in the air and completely destroyed the blutz wave generator. Bulma fell to her knees, shrieking wordlessly and hitting the machine in utter frustration.

**(A/N: Yes, Bebi was supposed to get hit by the waves, but I don't want to drag this out any longer. Chase is going to have trouble keeping a grip on his new energy, because he has so much of it, but he can't control it beyond the point of super saiyan two. We'll cover that later. Time to beat the Tuffle out of Vegeta!)**

Goku turned his gaze away from his writhing, twitching grandson and lunged at Bebi, taking the Tuffle completely by surprise, and began taking out his anger and rage at things his family had been enduring during his time in space. The Tuffle was helpless against the onslaught, and the fight quickly transformed from a battle to a massacre.

The saiyan's idea of mercy completely left him, and all he could feel and see was red hot anger. His fists came down like rain, punishing any part of the Tuffle he could hit. Bones crunched, organs squelched, and screams of agony became choked gurgles as blood filled the Tuffle's esophagus.

_I have to get out of this body before he kills me!_ The Tuffle began to push himself from Vegeta's body and tried to make his escape, but he didn't get so lucky. Goku wasn't so lost in his rage that he couldn't notice when the Tuffle had vacated Vegeta's body, and quickly charged a kame hame ha with enough power to wipe several Cells and Frieza's from the face of the earth a million times over.

"Good _riddance_, Bebi." Goku snarled, and then released the blast with a feral roar. The Tuffle screamed in agony as the extremely focused blast ripped through him, burning him into a crisp where he stood. The brilliant blue light of the kame hame ha cleared, leaving nothing in its wake.

**(A/N: THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD'VE ENDED!)**

*Meanwhile*

Kibito Kai carefully administered the Sacred Water to Dende and Mister Popo, waiting patiently for the two of them to come out of their stupor. The two of them coughed a bit as the evil Tuffles within them dissolved under the purity of the water.

"Kibito Kai?" Dende asked, disoriented.

"Yes, Dende. How do you feel?" The lavender skinned Kai placed a hand on the green skinned Kami's shoulder. "Much better. Does this mean Bebi has been defeated?" Dende asked hopefully.

"Yes, Goku has finished him off. I need to go to Planet Vegeta and purge the others of the Tuffles still inside them. Can you do that here on earth as well?" Kibito asked politely.

"Of course, Kibito, I'll get started right away." Dende turned to Popo, "Mister Popo, could you get the other bottle of Sacred Water for me, please?" The genie nodded and left to get the item.

"Thank you, Dende. I'll be on my way now." The Kai nodded once in thanks and promptly vanished.

*On Vegeta*

"Come on, champ, it's alright." Goku said softly, leaning down to pick his grandson up.

The demi's body was still sensitive, riddled with livewire nerves and he was slowly losing his grip on the insane amount of power within his body.

"G-Grampa? What happened?" Chase asked, stuttering slightly.

"You took a blast of blutz waves head-on, brat." Vegeta, who looked worse for wear, managed to walk over to the two, "I'm surprised you haven't turned Oozaru yet."

Chase's tail wriggled restlessly and kept wrapping around his legs. He had to get used to having one now, since he hadn't had one since he was a baby. He released a groan of pure agony, and Goku flinched.

"He needs to release that power, and turning Oozaru is the only way for him to do it." Vegeta told him softly, also flinching at the boy's gasps and groans. He'd never been in a position where'd he'd had more power than he could handle, but he heard enough stories to know that it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"I know, Vegeta, but he can't transform here. There are people everywhere." Goku told his old friend, and then ran a hand through his grandson's sweaty, matted hair, "hang in there, Chase." A commotion in the tower above caught their attention, and the two old saiyans flew up to investigate.

*in the tower*

The girls writhed and screamed as Bulma held her thumb down on the remote for their collars, screaming obscenities at them.

"You little freaks," she screamed, "you ruined me! How could you-"

"Bulma!"

The Tuffle-possessed genius whirled to face the owner of the voice, glaring harshly. Her glare capsized as she took in the other person standing there, watching her with disdain. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, stared down at his Tuffle-wife with disgust.

"How do we fix her, Kakarot?"

"I don't-"

At that moment, Kibito Kai appeared in the room and started towards Bulma, a strange, blue crystal bottle in hand. He gently poured a drop of sparkling water down her throat, and the woman began to cough violently as the Tuffle within her dissolved and dissipated.

"I've been treating the people with Sacred Water," Kibito explained softly, "She's perfectly fine, now."

"Can you do anything to help Chase?" Goku asked softly.

"I can help him keep a hold on his transformation, but he does need to transform soon." Kibito replied, and placed a hand on his forehead, "this should hold him for a day or so, but the pain will persist until he releases the excess energy. If you'll excuse me, I need to treat the rest of your family."

The Kai vanished, leaving the two saiyans alone.

"Ugh... Vegeta?" Bulma asked weakly, and then looked up at him with bright eyes, no longer tainted by malice and hatred. Vegeta walked to her side and helped her stand, "are you well, woman?" she nodded once, "just a little woozy." To her surprise, the saiyan king pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and wrapped an arm around her waist, "I missed you, woman."

"I missed you, too, Vegeta. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

"I can't believe I mourned your company, either." Vegeta replied derisively, and Bulma hit him in the arm, "shut up."

Goku gently set Chase down on a couch that was set against the wall and walked over to the tank. Pan looked up at him hopefully, and he gave her a smile as he tapped his knuckle against the glass. A spider web of cracks spread over the surface, and, with a gush, the water pushed through the glass, and the two mermaids washed out with it.

"Grampa, you won?" Pan asked as the saiyan lifted her and Kassie up before they could get cut on the glass. He nodded once and sat them both down on another couch so they could air-dry.

*later*

Pan and Kassie were back on their own two feet after weeks of being trapped in a tank like fish, and they were enjoying their newfound freedom. Kassie curled up next to Chase to comfort him, and Pan stayed near them, inwardly cringing at the thought of facing her parents again. She could sense the others coming, and she knew that they no longer had Tuffles in them.

_How am I going to face them,_ she wondered, _all of them... and Trunks..._ she shuddered at the memory of him capturing her and handing her over to Bebi. She just couldn't get her head to wrap around the fact that it wasn't him that did those things to her.

Her parents were the first to arrive, with her grandmother and uncle in tow. Trunks and Bra were bringing up the rear, she surmised. She watched them enter through the hole her grandfather had made in the wall, and soon felt the urge to run far away building in her chest. Her legs tensed up, and she would've actually followed through if it weren't for her parents looking at her with a million apologies in their eyes.

"Panny?" Videl whispered, walking over to her baby girl cautiously.

Pan stared at her, gauging her motives in the back of her head. She was taken by surprise as she was gathered up in a hug, and soft kisses fell on her forehead. Despite herself, she began to cry, her body shaking with the force of her sobs, and her mother cried with her, rocking her and whispering comforts in her ear.

Pan felt another set of arms around her, and she didn't have to look to know that it was her Papa. She snuggled into both of them, still crying softly and enjoying the love she felt flowing between them.

"Chase is- something's wrong with him." Pan whispered at last, still snuggled between her parents. As much as she wanted to stay there, she knew her twin needed them as well.

"What happened?" Gohan asked gently. "I think he got hit with Bulma's blutz wave thingy." Pan replied, "He's in a lot of pain." Videl got up and kissed Pan on the cheek, "We'll go check on him." Both parents got up and went to the other couch, where Chase was resting his head in Kassie's lap.

"Hi, sweet boy," Videl whispered, kneeling down so she could look into his eyes, "how're you feeling?" Chase groaned, "Like crap. Hi, Mom, Dad." Gohan ruffled his hair gently, "Hey, champ. Grampa said you get to turn Oozaru."

"Anything to stop the pain." Chase rasped, and then convulsed slightly. Pan, who'd made her way over as well, frowned and laid a hand on his cheek, "You'll be fine, Chase."

The tender, familial moment was shattered as Kibito Kai returned to the tower, a look of dread on his face.

"If we don't gather the Black Star Dragon Balls in two week, the earth will be destroyed..." He announced at once, not hesitating. Everyone froze as the severity of the news washed over them. Pan made a small noise of worry, and Videl placed a hand on top of hers to calm her. The thoughts in everyone's minds were about the same.

_What the hell do we do now?_

**Finish Date: May 18, 2013**

**Alrighty now, the Bebi Saga will be officially over as of the next chapter, and then we get to start... *drum roll* Pan's high school life! I'm sorry for the wait, it's been helluva busy nowadays. I hope you enjoy the chapter! SukiChan12**


	23. Before the Fall

**Alright, alright, alright. I've been putting this off for ages, and I sincerely apologize. Graduation is TWO days away, and I am so excited. Anyways, I think we're going to pick up just a bit after the last chapter ended. Enjoy the chapter.**

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**Start Date: June 5, 2013**

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**No POV**

"Shhh, it's alright honey..." Videl crooned, running her hands through Chase's hair. He whimpered hoarsely, and his back arched sharply from the bed he was resting on. "Where can we take him so he can get rid of the excess ki?" Videl asked softly, looking up at her husband and father in-law.

"I don't know of any planets that are uninhabited." Gohan said softly, looking to his child-sized father for an answer. Pan, who'd been sitting at the foot of the bed, watching her twin suffer, perked up and looked at her grandfather.

"We can take him back to that desert planet. The one with the worms." Her voice was subdued, and she jerked when her brother whimpered again, "P-Pan..." she grasped his hand, "I'm right here, bro. I know it hurts."

"I might be able to IT him there in Super Saiyan 4." Gou told his family softly, frowning. Chase screamed hoarsely and Pan gasped in surprise as the muscles in his arms began to bulge, and his canines began to extend from his gums.

"Let him go." Goku ordered, powering up to SSJ4. Videl pulled Pan away, and Gohan grabbed onto his father before the two of them disappeared with Chase. Pan bit her lip, staring at the spot where her brother had been resting with tears in her eyes.

"Sweetie, why don't you go on and take a nap?" Videl suggested softly, running her hands through Pan's silky hair. Pan shook her head, "I'll have nightmares," and burrowed her face in Videl's shoulder, "Mama..." Her mother hugged her tight and swayed gently, rubbing her daughter's back.

"You need to rest eventually." She crooned, "You can't stay up indefinitely, it isn't healthy." Pan sighed heavily and allowed her mother to guide her to the bed, "I don't want to sleep, Mama."

"Have you seen Trunks?" Videl asked softly, changing the subject as Pan laid her head on her thigh. "No." Pan said softly, "I haven't seen him yet. Why? Is he alright?"

"What? Baby, he's fine"

"That's good. I was really worried about him." Pan whispered sadly, nuzzling her mother's leg. Videl ran her fingers through her daughter's soft black tresses and began to hum. Pan yawned softly and began to fall into a deep sleep.

*with Chase*

Gohan and Goku hung back, out of the sights of the gigantic Oozaru wreaking havoc on the desert planet Rudeeze. Brilliant flares of crimson ki erupted from his mouth, sending waves of white sand high into the air, blotting out the three suns that warmed the planet. His fists came down with a roar, sending more sand flying.

"Do we cut his tail off?" Gohan asked softly, trying not to betray his worry. Goku nodded once, "once he burns off all that excess energy, then we cut it off. If we do it too soon, it won't be very good for him." Gohan nodded and trained his senses on his son's ki, waiting for the unstable edge in it to go away.

Slowly but surely, his ki died down, and the Oozaru just seemed to lose his drive to destroy things. The giant ape plopped down on the sand with a low rumble and looked at his grandfather and father with surprisingly clear eyes.

"That's not normal, is it?" Gohan asked softly. "He's probably got a handle on his Oozaru transformation. Doesn't surprise me; Chase is a quick learner." Goku replied, and then flew over to the docile ape, "Champ? You in there?"

Chase rumbled in a positive manner and nodded his huge head, and Goku chuckled softly, placing a hand on his forehead, "ready for me to cut your tail off? It's gonna hurt?" Chase shook his head, and Gohan floated over and placed his hand on Chase's cheek, "there's not exactly a moon here to end your transformation, so we have to do it the old fashioned way."

The ape seemed to pout, and Goku quickly whizzed behind him to do the deed. Gohan kept his son's attention on him by promising him that he'd buy him a brand new laptop when everything tided over. Chase roared loudly as a burning pain ripped through his bottom, making his eyes water. Gohan smiled apologetically as his son's body began to shrink and contort back to human proportions.

The warm fabric of Chase's father's shirt covered his naked form as he knelt on the ground, shaking from his ordeal. The transition from human to giant ape was disorienting and he groaned softly, moving a hand to his head.

"Ready to head back, champ?" Gohan asked softly, ruffling his son's hair. Chase nodded once, his eyelids fluttering in a desperate fight to stay awake. His father chuckled softly and uncapsulated an emergency set of clothing for him. Videl had slipped it to him before they left and he was grateful for it. Chase took the comfort clothing and put it on groggily, yawning and rubbing his eyes like a tired child. Goku placed a hand on both their shoulders and teleported back to the Tuffle planet.

Videl looked up as her husband, father in-law, and son appeared; the latter with groggy motions and tired eyes. She smiled softly and gestured for him to come lay down, as Pan was already occupying part of her lap. Chase took the invitation readily and curled up next to his twin with a yawn. Pan furrowed her nose at the new presence but didn't stir. Both of them relaxed into an easy sleep, and Videl quickly realized she wouldn't be moving anytime soon, but she didn't care to complain.

"What are we going to do about the whole '_two weeks til the planet explodes_' thing?" Videl whispered, looking between her husband and in-law with concerned eyes. Goku started to reply, but all eyes went to Pan as she began to whimper and flinch in her sleep.

"Sweet heart, it's a nightmare, come on, baby, wake up." Videl crooned, rubbing her back and pressing gentle kisses to her face. Pan sobbed and rolled over, tears streaming freely down her reddened cheeks, "_Trunks_... Trunks, no..." Her mother began to shake her for fear she'd accidentally give away her relationship with Trunks.

Pan sat up, violent quivers running through her frame, and let the tears fall. They were borne of grief, frustration, and her desire for a peaceful sleep. It seemed she wouldn't get her wish to just rest; to forget, not now, or anytime soon. She heaved a weary sigh and got off of the bed, "I need... I don't know what I need right now..." she left the room, wiping furiously at her damp, flushed face. The former mermaid Princess just wanted to be alone.

*In the room*

"What's wrong with her?" Gohan asked, looking at his wife for answers. She frowned at the genetic ignorance he seemed to have taken from his father.

"She hasn't been with us her whole life, Gohan, so of course she doesn't know how to cope with all of this stress. Between whatever madness took place on their trip, Bebi and this Tuffle mess, and the world apparently coming to an end, _how_ do you _think_ it would affect her? She's been living inside of a bubble of blissful ignorance, and sometimes I wonder if it was best if she'd stayed there, then, perhaps she wouldn't be in so much pain. Pan deserves _peace_, Gohan, not the constant barrages of enemies and wars that our lives entail."

Tears began to trickle down her cheeks, but Videl ignored them, turning her attention to her baby boy, "Neither of them has ever experienced anything like this before... and I'd rather they hadn't, but some things just _can't_ be avoided, now can they?" her fingers brushed over Chase's smooth cheek, and a small grin formed on his mother's face when he leaned into her familiar touch. She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead.

"So you regret all of this?" Gohan asked coolly, all emotion devoid from his tone. Videl looked up at him sadly, "I don't know how to answer that, Gohan, but I do know that things need to change, and soon, before someone ends up getting hurt." By the tone of her voice, Videl didn't imply that she meant simply physical.

"I'm tired, Go-chan." Videl said softly, "so tired of this routine. It was easier when we were young, but now... it's getting just as old as we, if not older." Goku left the room, leaving the couple to talk things out.

"Videl, I-"

"Gohan, what did you promise me when I had the twins?" The weary Satan-Son woman asked, her voice barely a whisper, but the room was silent as death, and Gohan could easily hear her.

"I promised you that they would have a normal childhood." The eldest son of Goku said, "and I broke that promise when I let Pan get taken away." His wife shook her head vehemently, "They got us all by surprise, love; there was nothing we could've done to prevent it." She waved him over to the bed and made him sit down, "we're going to make a new promise. Promise me that we'll try to calm things down a bit... for their sake." As she spoke, her eyes drifted meaningfully to the sleeping preteen in her arms.

"I promise." Gohan breathed, and then leaned and kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. I- I've been putting up with this since before I knew how to walk, and I never thought about how it would affect you because, to me, this is _normal_."

"Hey, I had an idea of what I was signing up for, but they didn't; especially Pan. I'd like it if they had been able to grow up like I did, but then I'd be cutting your influence out and it wouldn't have been fair to you."

"I never wanted them to have a childhood like mine in the first place." Gohan whispered, "I never had a real friend until I was seventeen. Piccolo doesn't count, either."

"He's more of a '_grumpy uncle_' type, rather than a friend." Videl said with a soft laugh, and Gohan brushed his lips against hers, "I'm glad that they have something I didn't. Friends who understand their being different."

"Mmmm, me too... Who _was_ your first friend, Gohan?"

"I think you know her quite well. She's about average height, with a very unique color to her eyes, and beautiful black hair. She's married to; and her words not mine, a '_hot, sexy, saiyan man_', and she has two wonderful children with him." Gohan chuckled and kissed her again.

Videl laughed at his blush as he quoted her, and welcomed his kiss, "She sounds wonderful." Her husband nodded and nuzzled her cheek, "That's because she is. As a matter of fact, she's more than just that. There aren't any words to describe how good she's been to me."

"Go-chan..." the wife of Son Gohan blushed a deep pink at his declaration, "you're too much, you know that?"

"Kami, you guys are loud." Chase said groggily, startling both of his parents from their love fest, "can't a guy get some decent sleep around here?" His mother popped him upside the head and made him laid his head back on her thigh, "Go back to sleep, hon." He mumbled something unintelligible and lapsed back into slumber.

"Well, he's certainly tuckered out. How'd it go?" Videl asked, slipping into mother bear mode. Gohan shrugged, "he stomped around and destroyed stuff, got a handle on his Oozaru form, and then we cut his tail off." She frowned, "did it hurt him?"

"Of course it did, love; it's a limb being removed from the body without proper surgical technique." Gohan replied, cupping her cheek. She sighed and leaned her face into his hand, "I know, I know; you know I don't like them being hurt." Gohan rolled his eyes skyward and nodded, "Oh, believe me, I know. Neither do I, but sometimes it just can't be helped."

*with Pan*

Pan found herself wandering through one of the small clusters of buildings that passed for cities on the Tuffle planet. People newly freed from the Tuffle scourge wandered the streets taking in their new surroundings in awe. She carried on past them, looking for the only solace she could think of. The water.

She faintly remembered someone mentioning a fairly large lake on the outskirts of the Tuffle city that hosed the tower, and she intended to find it. The buildings grew smaller and further apart as she trekked, until all that remained to keep her company were the trees, bushes, and rare animal.

Pan pushed through an embankment of shrubs and gasped in awe. The lake was humongous, and the lake bed glimmered with naturally forming crystals in shades of just about every color in existence, even some that she'd never seen before. Without preamble, the Princess charged into the waves, welcoming her transformation readily. The water flowed over her like the softest, lightest silk, and she loved every second of it. For the first time since the Grand Tour, her mind felt light and free, unburdened by simple, human stress, and the inhuman stress that came with being a quarter saiyan. Pan never wanted to leave this magical place.

That is, until a pair of hands came up to grasp her hips. Pan screamed and flapped her tail, trying to dislodge her captor, but they held firm.

"It's been a while, hasn't it, Princess Panchaia." Her body went stiff at the sound of that wretch voice. Memories of _him_ pressed against her backside in a lewd manner soared through her mind, and she wanted nothing more than to escape his disgusting, slimy presence.

"What do you want, Nevus?" Pan snapped, ripping away from him so she could see his face. He hadn't changed much, just a slight loss of baby fat in his face made him seem older, more masculine. His eyes were still as blue as the very seas she'd played in as a child, and his hair still seemed to carry the light of the sun within its strands.

"What, can't say hello to a former lover?" He asked, his voice slithering over her ears like a poisonous snake. "Former?" Pan scoffed, "former insinuates that you actually had some sort of chance with me, and we both know that you didn't, you grabby handed freak."

"You and I both know that you belong to me, Princess, why fight it?" He breathed, "Your kingdom is without a ruler, and is in disarray, what with the murder of their former Queen..." her breath caught her throat, and she stared at him in disbelief, "Ma- Rasana is _not_ dead. You're lying through your teeth you dreadful urchin."

"The Sirens killed her, its common news. You'd have known if you hadn't run off to be with your so-called family. Have they come after you with pitchforks and torches, yet?" Nevus crooned, smoldering his eyes at her, "you've had your fun, Princess, now come home, where you belong, with me as your husband-"

"I will _never_ choose you to be my betrothed, even if you were the last male creature on this wretched planet or in this universe. I made my choice, and I will not go back on it now, or ever for that matter. You waste your time here." Pan said coldly, "I left that constraining palace for good, and you'd do well to understand that."

"The more you say that you won't come back, the less I believe you." Nevus chuckled, "so stop wasting _your_ time with those two legged freaks and become my wife and Queen."

"As my friend Bra says, '_Denial isn't just a river in Egypt_'. And those '_two legged freaks_' are my family, and I would've been one of them if it weren't for your kind stealing me away. Tell me, would you want me to be your Queen if I'd had a normal, human childhood?" When he didn't reply, a smirk spread over her face, "As I thought. Why should things be any different, now? It's only a potion that allows me to grow a tail in the water. I'm a human girl by blood."

"But you _didn't_ have a normal, _human_ childhood." Nevus spat the word human like it was bile, "by all intents and purposes, you are next in line for the throne, and, according to the records of Okeanon I _am_ your intended."

"The problem with your logic is that I'm _not_ in Okeanon right now." Pan said slowly, as if she were talking to a child, "So take a swim, and get your gills out of my face." She floated to the bank and rolled out, using her magic to pull the moisture from her skin. Within minutes, her legs were restored, and she left without looking back at the stewing merman in the lake. Her only regret was that she didn't grab any of the gorgeous crystals.

*at the tower*

Kassie was enveloped in her mother's arms, just savoring her presence. A year had been a little too long for her to go without her parents, and she was cashing in on the motherly and fatherly affections. They didn't seem to want to let her go, either.

She saw Pan coming into the tower and noticed Trunks heading her way. She smiled; _Pan needs him, I can tell_, and snuggled back into her mother's embrace.

Pan froze as she came into the tower and made eye contact with the most handsome demi saiyan she'd ever laid eyes on. Trunks smiled apologetically, "Panny, I-"

She hurled herself into his arms, cutting off his response. She then broke down into tears, wailing out garbled words of how she'd missed him and loved him, no matter he'd done. Trunks smiled softly and held her, bearing her tears and cries easily. She began to relax in his hold, and he smiled as her sobs began to recede.

"Princess, are you sure you're alright?" Trunks asked, looking down at her puffy, wet face. _She's never looked more beautiful,_ he thought to himself, gently wiping the tears from her face. She nodded silently, still holding onto him as tightly as she could manage.

"Trunks, I love you." she breathed, standing on her tiptoes for a kiss. "I love you, too, Princess." He smiled and leaned down to grant her request. The world ceased to exist as the lovers found solace and peace in one another.

_After all, time could wait..._

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**I am so sorry, but I had to push the end of the Bebi Saga to next chapter because it would've been too much to go in one chapter. I'm getting sick of pushing it back, so we'll start with it, and then wish the Earth back as well. After that, the next chapter will take place three years in the future. I'm going to have to work back up to my Summer updating speed again, lol. Please don't kill me.**

**Much Love, SukiChan12^-^**


	24. A Grave Sacrifice

**Alright, you ought to be pissed at me for this. I'm honestly not feeling this story right now, in terms of re-writing GT episodes to fit my unique plot twists. You all should be like, 'then hurry up and finish the GT parts, already!' The thing is, it's hard to stay focused on this story when I have so many other amazing stories going right now. I've come to a conclusion that I will force myself to push past this bump and get to the fun part, because I love writing high school experiences. Bear with me, because it might be short. The next chapter will start from Pan's perspective, so do look forward to that.**

**This chapter resumes two days before Earth is to explode, so... enjoy.**

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**No POV**

Pan sat up, panting harshly as she blinked away her nightmares and embraced the real world around her. Her body was covered in sweat, and; to her chagrin and embarrassment, she'd popped a tail in bed. She heaved a sigh and called out with her mind, '_Mama, can you get me a towel? I popped a tail in my sleep._'

A few minutes later, her groggy mother entered the room, carrying some towels. Pan dragged her tail out of the sheets and took the towels gratefully, "Thank you, Mama." Videl smiled sleepily and kissed the top of her head, "more nightmares?"

Pan nodded mutely, working away at the sweat that clung to her skin. She sighed irritably; _this is going to take ages..._ her mother; sensing her dilemma, took a second towel and began wiping at her back, holding her hair up with one hand while she worked with the other.

"I'm worried about you. You haven't been sleeping for more than three hours, and you're too young to start pulling all-nighters." Videl told her daughter softly, "perhaps you need to talk to someone."

Pan breathed deeply, muttering in her native tongue, "_Den chreiázomai énan therapef̱tí̱, mamá, prépei na vro̱ kápoia kolasméno̱n ýpno__._" In Japanese, she whispered, "I hope you don't mean a therapist, Mama."

**(Translation:** _**Den chreiázomai énan therapef̱tí̱, mamá, prépei na vro̱ kápoia kolasméno̱n ýpno**_**:** **I don't need a therapist, Mama; I need to get some damned sleep.)**

"No, I mean someone you trust implicitly. A therapist is basically a stranger, and who feels comfortable admitting their woes to a complete stranger?" Videl said with a soft chuckle, "and stop murmuring in Mermish under your breath. I can hear it, you know."

"Mama, the correct term is Okeanago or _o̱keanós miloún_. The fancy term for it is _gló̱ssa to̱n thalassó̱n_. not only mermaids speak it, so Mermish is kind of obsolete. Not only that, but there are different strains of it in certain parts of the ocean."

**(T/N: **_**o̱keanós miloún**_**: ocean speak. **_**gló̱ssa to̱n thalassó̱n**_**: tongue of the seas.)**

Videl rolled her eyes as Pan's tail finally vanished, and kissed the top of her head, "get some sleep. It's almost sunrise. We've got to finish evacuating Earth in the morning... err, in a few hours." Pan nodded and slid back into her bed, "Good night, Mama." Videl brushed the hair away from her face before leaving the room. Pan burrowed down into her sheets and went back to sleep.

*later that morning* **(they're on earth, helping people get off of the planet.)**

Trunks found his girlfriend helping people get on board the ships his mother had procured, and hugged her from behind, "good morning, Princess."

Pan blushed and shrugged away from him, "good morning, handsome." Both of them glanced around furtively, looking for Gohan. When the coast was clear, Trunks pulled her in for a soft, affectionate kiss. Pan smiled into the kiss and threaded her fingers into his hair, giggling like a child. He nuzzled her cheek before pulling away to help her out with the people.

"How've you been sleeping?" Trunks asked softly. Pan sighed sharply; her mother told him, she just knew it, "fine, Trunks." He frowned, "that's not what your mother said-"

"I'm not used to this, Trunks." Pan snapped, "I'm not used to the world being threatened, to it exploding, to saving the world every five minutes. Just three short years ago, I was a Princess with absolutely no worries, and now... now I've been thrust into this action-packed life were I could die at just about any moment. Give me some time to adjust to it before you start throwing everything at me all at once!"

"Pan, I-"

"Forget it." She hissed, "Just leave me alone for a while." Her turn in moods shocked her. She'd been happy to see him, and now... now she just wanted him to get the _kólasi__̱_ away from her. _Skatá_, she thought to herself, _it must be my __chrónos tou mí̱n_...

**(T/N: **_**kólasi**__**̱**_** and **_**Skatá**_** are swear words in 'Mermish' or Okeanago. **_**chrónos tou mí̱n**_** is time of the month.)**

Pan turned to apologize to her love, but he'd already left at her request. "_Skatá_..." Pan cursed to herself, "I need to get hold on these mood swings." She turned and began helping the people onto the ship. Unconsciously, she began to look for Nevus amongst them, but her search turned up empty. Rolling her eyes at her foolishness, she focused fully on her task.

*later*

Pan sat on her bed, folding clothing from her laundry. As she worked, she began to sing one of the songs from one of her new favorite shows back on Earth. Unbeknownst to her, her parents, brother, Bra, Kassie, Marron, and Trunks were outside of her room. They'd been going to see her; coincidentally at the same time, and stopped outside of her room, listening to her beautiful voice in awe.

"_Nanairo no kaze ni fukarete tooi misaki wo mezashiteta  
Yoake mae kikoeta MERODII  
Sore wa totemo natsukashii uta_

Higashi no sora he to habataku toritachi  
Saa takarajima ni nukeru chikamichi.

Nanatsu no umi no rakuen  
Arashi no yoru no ato ni wa ai wo tsutaeru tame inochi ga mata umareru  
Nanatsu no kuni no MERODIA  
Daremo ga itsuka wa koko wo tabidatsu hi ga kitemo  
Watashi wa wasurenai

Yukkuri to kumo wa nagarete niji no hate ni kiete itta  
Hoshitachi wa shinju no you ni  
Tsuyoi hikari hanachihajimeru

Minami no sora kara kikoeru kuchibue  
Sou otona ni naru toki ga kiteita

Kiseki wo meguru bouken  
Yasashii haha no negai wo mune ni idakinagara daremo ga tabi wo shiteru  
Hoshi furu yoru no FANTAJIA  
Afureru namida to inori dare ni mo wakaranai  
Mirai wo terashiteru

Nanatsu no umi no rakuen  
Arashi no yoru no ato ni wa ai wo tsutaeru tame inochi ga mata umareru  
Nanatsu no kuni no MERODIA  
Daremo ga itsuka wa koko wo tabidatsu hi ga kitemo  
Watashi wa wasurenai

Kiseki wo meguru bouken  
Yasashii haha no negai wo mune ni idakinagara daremo ga tabi wo shiteru  
Hoshi furu yoru no FANTAJIA  
Afureru namida to inori dare ni mo wakaranai  
Mirai wo terashiteru...

"

**(A/N: Lyrics come from Mermaid Melody. Mermaid Melody was 'The One That Started It All' aka my very first anime. I started watching it in the sixth grade. After that, came Bleach, and then, at last, DBZ. Strange turn, huh?)**

"Her voice is beautiful." Gohan said softly, in awe. Bra, Marron, and Kassie nodded in unison, just as the door opened, revealing Pan herself. She furrowed her brow at so many unannounced guests but let them all in anyway.

Bra and Marron flung themselves at her with a squeal. They'd missed her for the year she was gone, and hadn't gotten the chance to say hello over the previous week. Pan rolled her eyes at all of the attention, but them have their way; hugging her like crazy.

"You have to tell us about the trip!" Bra squeaked, holding onto her hand like she was afraid Pan would disappear. Marron nodded eagerly in agreement, and the former mermaid Princess rolled her eyes, "I will as soon as we can get past all of... this."

Everyone nodded, and Pan frowned at them all, "and why are you all in my room?" Her parents laughed, "everyone followed us back here." Pan rolled her eyes and plopped onto the bed with Marron and Bra, "start at the beginning?" Both girls nodded eagerly, and her parents and Trunks left them alone to talk.

"Well, we landed on this planet called Imecka first, and let me tell you. I thought _Bra_ was a big spender; she couldn't top the charge to live there on her best day. They made you pay for _everything_..."

*later*

"Pan, come on, get on the ship." Videl grasped her daughter by the arm and gently dragged her onto the ship. Pan followed slowly, still looking around to make sure everyone was on board. She could sense a small ki; a child's ki far off from the ship. "Mama," she tugged Videl to a halt, "where's Grampa? There's a little boy that's not on the ship. He's really far away."

"Gohan!" Videl yelled, searching for her husband. He got off of the ship and rushed over to his wife and daughter with his son in tow, "what is it?"

"Where's Goku?" she asked at once, "Pan sensed a little boy, but he's too far away from the ship. The planet can blow at any moment." Gohan frowned, "I just saw him on the ship; I'll go get him."

"I got it, Dad." Chase pulled away from his father and ran into the ship, yelling his Grandfather's name. The rest of his family watched him go, and then Videl looked down at Pan, who was getting antsy, "I know exactly what you're thinking, and the answer is no. We're not about to risk losing you when we've just got you back. Your grandfather can teleport to him and bring him to the ship."

Pan huffed and grasped her father's arm; unconsciously trying to keep herself anchored on the same spot. A rough quake rumbled within the Earth, and she fell into his chest with a shocked cry. Gohan chuckled and squeezed her before pushing her back so she was steadily on her feet. The mermaid blushed and walked back to the ship, arm in arm with her parents.

Chase met them at the door with their grandfather; the latter powered up to SSJ4, and smiled, "Gramps said he could do it." Before anyone could say anything else, Goku pressed two fingers to his forehead and disappeared. Pan found a few seats near the others and sat down. Her mother sat beside her and she casually laid over onto her lap.

"Still tired from the long night?" Videl inquired softly, brushing a few fingers across her cheek. Pan nodded with a quiet yawn. Gohan appeared with a blanket and laid it over his daughter as her eyes slipped closed. There was a rough quake and the ship pitched slightly. Chase sat on the floor at his mother's feet, with his head leaned against her knees.

"What's taking him so long-" Gohan cut off with a gasp as he felt Piccolo's presence near his father's. _Why isn't he here?_ Suddenly, Goku's energy began to deplete, and Goten appeared at his side, "Gohan, do you..."

Wordlessly, Gohan nodded and frowned as his arms crossed over his chest, "we might have to go get him." Goten's eyes narrowed, "there's lava jetting out of the ground out there." Gohan shrugged, "It doesn't matter-"

'_Gohan_?'

'_Piccolo, what's wrong with Dad, and why are you-_'

'_Gohan, listen to me._' Piccolo's gruff voice echoed through his head, '_I have to stay here, on Earth._' Gohan was aghast, '_The planet's going to blow in less than an hour, Piccolo, are you crazy?!_'

'_The Black Star Dragon Balls are far too dangerous for them to end up in the wrong hands again. I'm linked to them, because Kami created them. If I die..._'

'_Then they won't work anymore..._' Gohan finished, his '_voice_' meek and quiet like a reclusive child's, '_Piccolo, you don't have to do this. Not this way, please..._' His eyes felt hot and they prickled and stung with unshed tears.

'_I'm giving your father my energy so he can get back to the ship before it leaves him behind. Gohan, I'm proud of you_.' Piccolo told him solemnly, '_Goodbye, my friend._'

'_Goodbye, Piccolo._' Gohan finally spoke, already sensing his father's energy growing. The ship rumbled to life and began to lift off of the ground, just as Goku appeared in the ship, cradling the little boy in his arms. The little tike thanked him before running off to see his worried parents.

Gohan stumbled over to the windows and watched; tears streaming down his face, as the Earth exploded into a brilliant, yellowish-orange light. A piece of him broke inside when Piccolo's presence faded away from his mind, and their telepathic link shattered. The tears came harder, and his shoulder began to shake with grief as he mourned the loss of his sensei.

"Dad, what's wrong with Gohan?" Goten asked softly, looking down at his child-sized father. Goku frowned, "Piccolo was still on Earth when it exploded, son." His voice was firm and solemn, oddly contrasting with his childish features.

Goten wanted to go comfort his brother, and started do so, but Goku stopped him, "No, that's a job best left to Videl." Both of them watched as Videl leaned a sleeping Pan against her sleeping twin brother and walked over to her husband, hugging him from behind. She didn't say anything; there was nothing she could say to make him feel better, but simply hugged him, letting him know that she was there.

Gohan pulled her around in front of him and buried his face in her hair, still crying over his grievous loss. His wife ran her fingers through his soft, spiky hair and kissed his face, comforting him with her presence alone. She didn't yet know what had caused this sudden change, but she knew that he needed her, and that she would be there for him.

_Piccolo wouldn't want me to let this break me_, Gohan surmised silently, _so I won't. I won't let anything like this happen to the planet again. I'm not going to sit around and let my strength fade. For you, Piccolo, I'm going to fight again..._

Up in Otherworld, a small grin wormed its way onto a certain Namekian's face as he waited in line to see King Yemma.

_Stay strong, Gohan..._

* * *

**I finished the Buu Saga! At last! I'm sorry for the shortness, I just really wanted it out of the way, so we can get to high school! *cheers* You know the drill, let me know what you liked, didn't like, or even things you'd like to see after the time skip. I should have chapter twenty five ready by this weekend, if not early next week. Much Love, SukiChan12^-^**


	25. High School Drama? Try Mermaid Drama!

**And, at long last, we've reached Pan and Chase's junior year. Well, the tail end of it; like March or April. After this, we'll go into senior year, which is the best year ever, because we get to see what profession Pan will go in. I usually do medical field or even opening a dojo for her, but this time... it's gonna be a bit different. OMG, we're doing first person now. So, here we are; we'll start with Pan. Enjoy the read.**

**One more thing, most of the songs I mention will be the ones that have my interest at the current time, so don't be too surprised by the titles. Either that, or I'm listening to it at the moment, and I like it.**

**LAST THING, everything that happened after the Bebi Saga happened. With the Tenkaichi, Pan forfeited, and Chase went on to the last round and '**_**beat**_**' his Grandpa Satan for the championship. That's the only difference. That and Goku came back fully grown after a year because I think that him leaving was a ludicrous idea.**

**Enjoy the update ^-^**

* * *

**Pan's POV**

I groaned and pressed my face into my pillow, _Skata, turn that stupid radio off_! My radio alarm continued to blare out "_Clarity_" by Zedd and the Foxes. As I rolled out of bed, I began to sing along to the addictive tune. _Time to pick out my outfit..._

"_High dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life  
Fight fear for the selfish pain, it was worth it every time  
Hold still right before we crash 'cause we both know how this ends  
A clock ticks 'til it breaks your glass and I drown in you again_"

I pulled a pair of skinny jeans out of my closet and threw them on the bed, still singing as I turned back to my closet to find a top. My eyes landed on a dark purple quarter sleeve top with gaps on the shoulders; and a slight vee at the front, and I threw that on the bed, too, alongside my black button collar leather vest with the laced siding. My black biker boots with silver studs joined the pile and I went into the bathroom to use the handicap; I prefer mermaid proof, shower. It had a built-in quick dryer, courtesy of Auntie B.

"_Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need  
Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why"_

I turned on the water and stripped down before plopping on the seat. The ten seconds passed, as was normal, and I squealed as my legs merged painlessly into my tail. I grabbed the handheld showerhead and began soaping down my body and hair. Once I was nice and clean, I hit the switch for the quick dryer, and promptly ten seconds later, I was back on my feet.

"_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_  
_If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_"

_(Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey)_

I let my still-damp hair dry into natural curls and began picking out my jewelry. I picked out two silver bracelets, designed to fit close to my wrists and made to look like hand cuffs. It came as a set with a black leather choker with a hand cuff key hanging in the hollow at the base of my throat and dangling earrings with handcuffs and die on them.

**(A/N: Die as in a half of a set of dice. Not the other thing, lol.)**

"_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_  
_If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_"

"_Walk on through a red parade and refuse to make amends_  
_It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense_  
_Don't speak as I try to leave 'cause we both know what we'll choose_  
_If you pull then I'll push too deep and I'll fall right back to you_"

I fluffed out my curls and put on my clothes, gently swaying my hips in time with the song. The jeans molded to my hips in a way that I knew would make Papa extremely overprotective, and Trunks fall to my feet, drooling. I giggled and clasped my bra before slipping into the shirt and vest. The vest had a habit of fitting like a corset, and I was glad I didn't wear a low-cut shirt with it.

"_Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need_  
_Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why_"

"_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_  
_If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_"

I zipped up my boots in the back and tucked the legs of my jeans into them before snatching my back pack and biking jacket off of my window seat. I could see Chase outside, capsulating the second helmet for his motorcycle so he could give Kassie a ride to school. _I guess I'm riding my bike to school then. It'll give my hair more time to dry._

_(Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey-ay-ay. Hey-ay, hey)_

"_Why are you my clarity?_  
_Why are you my remedy?_  
_Why are you my clarity?_  
_Why are you my remedy?_"

"_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?_  
_If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_"

The song went off and I headed downstairs to grab a bite to eat. Mama was standing at the foot of the stairs, holding my bike keys, "It's going to rain after school, so Trunks is picking you up. You can ride to school, but your Uncle's going to pick it up during the day."

I nodded and took the bike keys, "have you seen my helmet capsule?" She placed the capsule onto of my backpack, "come eat, you've got fifteen minutes before you need to leave." I smiled and put my stuff down by the door, "Are there pancakes?"

*later*

After consuming a good mountain and a half of flapjacks, I was content and ready to go to school. Papa watched me as I slid on my jacket, "be careful." I nodded and looked at Mama, "could you help me wet my hair and braid it? I want it to be wavy." She nodded and dragged me into the downstairs bathroom.

*five minutes later*

Mama uncapsulated my helmet and slid it onto my head, "alright girly, no speeding, and be careful." I nodded once and put my backpack on, tucking the straps into the pockets of my jacket so they wouldn't get caught in the axels of the bike. I swung my leg over the saddle of my baby; my baby blue Ducati 1098 and zipped up my jacket before sticking my key in the ignition.

"Bye, Mama, bye Papa!" I yelled, waving as I pushed off onto the road. I faintly heard them yell back as I released the clutch and hit the gas. My hand briefly left the handle to flip my visor down, and then I was off in a blur of colors and light...

When I got to school, it was a good five minutes before the bell. I swung into the empty park next to my brother's silver Ducati 1200 Multistrada and hit the brake. I killed the engine and pushed the kickstand into place before removing my helmet.

My newly trimmed mid-back length tresses flew around my face as I shook my head to free them from the loose braids they'd been in. they fell in neat waves, and I used my side mirror to apply a layer of lip balm and a bit of mascara before capsulating my jacket and helmet, pocketing my key, and heading into school.

Both of my posse members; Marron and Bra, stood waiting for me at the door. I could see my brother just inside, with his face pressed firmly against Kassie's. Both of my girls waved as I approached and I grinned, "Haven't they heard of a room?"

Bra glanced behind her and rolled her eyes, "you're just in time to catch the tail end of their personal face porno." I rolled my eyes, "I _do_ live with him, Bra. I see it every day." Bra and Marron laughed and looped arms with me before we headed into the school. Kassie disengaged the lip action to join in.

"Did you hear about the new student?" Marron asked softly, "I heard he's from some place tropical, if his tan is anything to go by." I raised a brow, "Maz, I thought you and Uub were happy together." She blushed, "we are, but it doesn't mean I can't look."

"What's his name?" I asked curiously, and Bra grinned, "why, Pan, I thought you were completely devoted to my brother?" I rolled my eyes, "I'm asking a simple question, Bra, not if he's available."

"It was something exotic. Umm... oh! It was Zaiaku Chydaía. Weird name. He tells everyone to call him Zak." Kassie supplied, "and he was so cute..." Chase, who was walking alongside of her, nudged her in the side. She giggled, "Not as cute as you, babe."

"How could you all have seen him _before_ school started?"

Bra giggled, "We have our _ways_..." and trailed off ominously, before replying, "We were hanging around the front office and saw him going in to get a schedule. I believe he'll have homeroom with us."

At that moment, we reached our homeroom, and filed in. we headed straight to the top and took our usual seats. I began to scan the classroom, as I usually did. A soft tingle at the back of my mind told me that there was a fellow mermaid near.

It was no surprise to me. I'd met mermaids all the time, thanks to our built in sensor, but this time, it was different. I _knew_ this tingle. The memory was illusive and slippery. I couldn't grasp it, and just when I thought I had it, it would dance away from me.

The bell rung and I noticed a blond haired boy talking to Mrs. Carmichael; our homeroom teacher, and Ms. Harken; the student-teacher. I knew that head of wavy blonde hair; the color of the sun at high noon... _Wait_... _Oh Kami, it can't be..._

"Class, this is our new student, Zaiaku Chydaía."

The boy turned around, and my stomach dropped as I stared into the ocean blue eyes of Prince Nevus. Nausea welled up in me, but I pushed it down. Chase looked at me strangely, '_Do you know him?_' I shook my head, '_Later. We'll talk at lunch or at home after school._' He nodded and continued to watch me out of his peripheral vision.

"Zak! Come sit over here!" Bra waved her hand, pointing to the empty seat on the aisle next to her. I breathed a sigh of relief that I was between Marron and Kassie. He smiled and came up the stairs, "thanks for saving me a spot, Bra." She waved her hand dismissively, "it was nothing."

As he pulled the chair out to sit down, he finally noticed me and he whispered, "_Princess Panchaia_?" I glowered at him and turned away, knowing I was the only one who'd heard the whisper. How dare he infiltrate my personal life? I continued to seethe to myself as Mrs. Carmichael got into the day's lesson.

*at lunch*

Chase grabbed my hand as soon as the bell rang to dismiss us from Calculus for lunch and dragged me down the stairs and out of the classroom door. I sighed sharply and pulled my hand away, "The answer to your question is obviously yes, so why are you jerking me around like this?"

We entered an empty classroom, and I sat on one of the desks in the bottom row, "so, what do you want to know?" He rolled his eyes at me, "So, is that nevus or not?" This surprised me. I didn't know he remembered that conversation we had when I first left the ocean for good.

"Yes, I remember, and the look on your face was evidence enough. When do I get to kick his ass?" I rolled my eyes at my twin as he cracked his knuckles in a 'threatening' manner, "he has to do something to me in order for me to sic you on him."

"He already has-"

"It wasn't _recent_. Chase, look. If he does anything drastic or harmful to me while he's on land, you have free reign to do anything short of killing him." I conceded, and he got this look on his face that promised violence.

"Drastic how?" He inquired. "Like turning me back into a mermaid... permanently." I said softly, and my brother frowned, "how so, I thought with the spell-"

"The spell and potion can be negated with the counter-spell and potion, and; in turn, the counter-spell and potion can be negated by the spell and potion. I'm just not too sure it can be done to me a second time. It's never happened before. There are some spells that can turn me back for a fixed amount of time, but there is only _one_ permanent counter-spell, and it requires the dark magic of a Siren." I said softly, "and I doubt that he's got any on speed dial."

Our eyes met, and he walked over to me and pulled me into a hug, "I'll keep an eye out for anything funny." I sighed softly, "I just made you _that_ much more protective... Didn't I?" He nodded, and I rolled my eyes, "he'll have to get me to drink something, and I'm honestly not that stupid."

"Are you going to tell the others?"

"And have them go bonkers on him in front of the whole school? No way in _kólasi̱_. We're going to keep this between the _two_ of us, meaning you _cannot_ tell Mama or Papa. They'd have me pulled out of school so fast..." I trailed off, "you get my drift. I'm not some defenseless floozy; I can handle my own problems."

"Akóma kai metá apó óla af̱tó to kataraméno to chróno," I muttered under my breath, "_kaneís_ den katalavaínei óti."

"Stop cursing in Mermish before I tell mom."

"_Kleísei to skasmó_! You don't even _understand_ Mermish... _kai den eínai Mermish_!" I screeched at him, and then relaxed, "It's _not_ Mermish, its Okeanago or o̱keanós miloún. Get it straight."

**(T/N: First statement: even after all this damn time. Second statement: **_**no one**_** understands that. Third: Shut the hell up! Fourth: And it's not Mermish!)**

"Whatever, sis, come on, let's go eat lunch." I rolled my eyes and let him drag me to the cafeteria, "Yum, pancakes."

"Yes, Panny, we're well aware of the fact that you're addicted to pancakes."

"Well... Mama still packs your lunch."

"She packs yours, _too_."

"Only because I can't make pancakes as good as hers. What's your excuse? Don't know how to make a _sandwich_?"

"Dammit, you win, Pan."

I grinned victoriously and pecked him on the cheek, "I love you, brother of mine." He pretended to push me away, "Sure you do, Panny."

**No POV**

Neither Son twin noticed the shadow watching them as they spoke and continued on their way to the cafeteria. Nevus stepped out of the shadow behind the door of the supply closet and smirked, "I wasn't going to do that, but you planted the idea in my head. I guess I'd better go repay the Sirens. I do owe them a debt after all." He laughed softly before leaving the room and going to lunch himself.

**Pan's POV**

I sat between Bra and Marron at our usual round table, snarfing down a tuffer ware full of my mother's double fudge pancakes. It didn't matter what flavor pancakes she made, I loved them. Papa didn't like that I ate them so often, but between my mermaid and saiyan genes, I had little to no chance of gaining any weight or developing a health issue from all the sugar and starch.

"Zak, this seat's open!" Bra yelled, pointing to an empty seat across from mine. Chase shot me a look and I shook my head, '_Stop worrying so much. I can handle this._'

Nevus walked over with his plate, leaving a gaggle of cheerleading _pórnes_ in his wake. Their faces fell with disappointment as he slid into his seat, and then they all began to glare at me, Kassie, and Bra. Even though we aren't single, it seems they consider us competition. I digress... because I secretly like the looks of envy and disappointment on their faces when Trunks comes by to eat lunch with me or to pick me up.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm-" I cut him off, "I'm well aware of your name," and began to eat again, purposefully ignoring him.

"Vasilopoúla Panchaia, échoun perásei chrónia apó ti̱n telef̱taía mas synánti̱si̱." He began speaking desperately, "Giatí epiménoun na krémetai apó to parelthón? Giatí na mi̱n boreí na pistév̱ete óti eímai se thési̱ na ti̱s allagí̱s?"

(Princess Panchaia, it's been years since our last encounter. Why do you insist on hanging on to the past? Why can't you believe that I'm capable of change?)

"_Epeidí̱ sas xéro̱_!" I hissed, "Écho̱ páei gýro̱ sas prin! Ótan den échete ton trópo sas, droun san éna _apérripsan to paidí_ kai na ríxei ta xespásmata , kai den eímai diatetheiménos na analávei ton kíndyno tou na párei kontá se sas. Den sas écho̱ empistosýni̱ kai den sas arései. Afí̱ste me na."

(_Because I know you_! I've been around you before! When you don't get your way, you act like a _spurned child_ and throw tantrums, and I'm not willing to take the risk of getting close to you. I don't trust you and I don't like you. Leave me be.)

"Aplá na mou dó̱sei mia ef̱kairía na to apodeíxei. An mou to mantára , tóte tha fýgoun kai den tha epistrépso̱ poté." He began to reach across the table for my hand, "Vasilopoúla, se iketév̱o̱."

(Just give me a chance to prove it. If I screw it up, then I'll leave and never come back. Princess, I'm begging you.)

"Eíches ti̱n ef̱kairía sou na kerdísoume ti̱n empistosýni̱ mou, kai na to _amav̱ró̱noun_," I said darkly, "Mi̱n periménete apó ména na eínai epieikí̱s mazí sas mia álli̱ forá Vasilópais Nevus, eidiká metá apó ó, ti échete kánei sto parelthón."

(You had your chance to earn my trust, and you _sullied_ it. Don't expect me to be lenient with you another time prince Nevus, especially after what you've done in the past.)

Nevus nodded and pulled his hand back, turning to his meal. I looked up into the curious eyes of Bra, Marron, and Chase. I'd taught Kassie Okeanago over the years, so now _she_ was in on the secret.

"What?" I asked coolly, "I'd finish eating lunch if I were you." They turned away, and Kassie raised a brow, '_So that's Nevus_?'

'_The one and only._'

'_Kami, I said he was cute. Ewwwww..._'

I began to giggle, and she joined me. The others rolled their eyes and continued to eat their lunches, completely out of the loop, as usual. Nevus said nothing, and ate his lunch quietly.

*after school*

"Crap, it's raining." Chase said softly as we walked under the overhang. True to Mama's word, it was coming down in sheets. I bit my lip, wondering how I was even going to manage sliding into Trunks' car without getting drenched.

Kassie groaned and grabbed her stomach, and my eyes widened, "eggs?" she nodded, "I guess I won't be at school next week. Or tomorrow, for that matter." I nodded, "oh, you poor thing." She sighed, "Have fun looking slim and trim while I waddle around like a bloated balloon for the next six to twelve days."

I was very glad that I wasn't a full-blooded mermaid like Kassie. She had to deal with the menstrual cycle that mermaids had once every three months for _every_month, due to her being a human for most of her life. If she'd grown up underwater, then she'd only have to put up with it for every three months. Her excuse to get out of school was that her period tended to run on longer than was normal, and it was our job to collect her homework for the days she missed.

**(A/N: I know I mentioned it in a way earlier chapter, but to refresh your memories, Mermaids are half-fish, and therefore have eggs. They don't lay eggs like fish, though; their births are live, like whales. When a female mermaid is ovulating, hundreds of thousands of eggs will grow in her uterus, causing her to swell up to the point that she looks about five months pregnant. This lasts for the first nine days of the ovulation period; along with a Heat that lasts for the first five to seven days, and then the last three; if she doesn't have intercourse, are spent expelling the eggs because they aren't any good. This is Mermaid Biology 101!)**

"If you want, I can come take care of you." Chase offered, pulling her into his arms. She giggled and hit him on the chest, "I'm sorry, love, but I don't want you to see me like that. It's not pretty. Imagine Pan on her cycle, but a good hundred times worse... and with mood swings and cravings."

"I don't care. I love you." Chase told her softly, kissing her forehead. She grinned, "I'm sorry, baby, but I can't let you skip school for me. We aren't married yet." He smirked and murmured in her ear, "I don't mind helping you with some of those... _cravings_."

Kassie looked over at me, blushing furiously, "Pan, _xérei gia ti̱ zésti̱?!_" I nodded, "Nómiza óti í̱xere óti í̱xere ... Lypoúmaste, Kas." She grumbled a curse under her breath and shook her head at me, "An nomízei óti tha ton afí̱sei gýro̱ mou, enó̱ eímai se af̱tí̱ ti̱n _katástasi̱_ tóte eínai i̱líthios. _Eímai ikaní̱ na ton viásei_, Panny!"

(_**Kassie**_: Pan, _he knows about the Heat_?! _**Pan:**_ I thought you knew that he knew... Sorry, Kas. _**Kassie:**_ If he thinks that I'll let him around me while I'm in that _state _then he's an idiot. _I'm liable to rape him_, Panny!)

"Chase, stop being a pervert." I said chastely, "we all know that you're a teenage boy, and you have urges, but Kassie wouldn't be in her right mind, so anything you get up to won't exactly be consensual by any means except those for our kind."

His eyes widened comically, and Kassie giggled, "exactly, darling. So, no." We both started to laugh as a blush coated his cheeks just as Trunks pulled up as close to the overhang as possible. Kassie and I looked at each other warily.

"We've got ten seconds to get in the car and get the door closed." I murmured, looking around at the students waiting for their parents. She nodded as Chase, sensing our dilemma, opened the doors for us. I threw my backpack into Trunks' lap before lithely and quickly sliding into the front seat, growling as my face and chest got soaked. I slammed the door shut and grunted softly as my tail got cramped in the space between the dash and the passenger seat. I could see Kassie was having a similar problem with her own tail and the back of Trunks' seat.

"Hey, now." Trunks joked, "You can't blame me. This car wasn't designed to fit two mermaids." I rolled my eyes, "this is really cramping the muscles in my tail, so you need to hurry up and get me home." He kissed the back of my hand and pulled away from the school, flicking on the heat.

*at Mt. Paozu*

Chase decided to stay at Kassie's for a bit, and I was more than grateful for the time alone with my boyfriend. We rode in content, happy silence, and I squeezed his arm, "I have something to tell you."

Trunks raised a brow at me, "Hm?" I looked down, "Nevus is going to my school, now." Suddenly, the car came to a sudden halt, and I pitched forward, catching myself on the dashboard. I looked over at him, and was shocked to see his blue eyes blazing with anger.

"How long has he been going there?" He hissed. "He just started today, babe, calm down." I murmured, reaching over to cup his cheek. Trunks visibly relaxed at my touch and leaned his face into my hand, "I just... he's so close to you now, and I can't be there to watch out for you."

"I have a brother who's in almost all the same classes as me, you know." I chided, rubbing his cheek with my thumb, "I'll be fine. You worry too much." He growled, "I just want to kill him so badly."

I'd already told Trunks about both of my sordid encounters with Nevus; the time he got rough with me while we were exploring the reef and his blatant molestation of my body when I'd gone to visit my sick foster-mother one night. The last one had him rather upset, and he had every right to be, as we'd begun dating at the time.

"I still think your parents should know. They deserve to know if you could be in potential danger." Trunks chided, and I sighed softly, "fine, I'll tell them, but if I get pulled out of school behind this, I'm kicking your ass and Chase's ass."

Trunks smiled, kissed my forehead, and started driving again. I leaned my forehead against the window and smiled, _how I love this man..._

*that night*

"_You dare return to us with a favor, you vile brat?_" the Siren hissed, glaring at Nevus as he swam to her. He smirked, "I intend to repay the debt I owe you in full... if you'll just tell me something."

The Siren's brow rose, "_What is it that you need brat?_" Nevus grinned sardonically, "How to turn a land-walking mermaid back into a sea-dwelling mermaid... for _good_."

* * *

**Whoop! I'm back, baby! Four thousand words! Okay, so Nevus is on the prowl again, except this time he's got a plan in place to ensnare Pan. The question is... will it work? Find out in chapter twenty six. Anyone just love the fact that Pan rides a motorcycle? Alright, alright, alright, spill your guts in a review; dislikes and likes and suggestions please.**

**-SukiChan12^-^**


	26. Girl-Talk and the First Strike

**Picks up kind of where the last chapter left off with Pan and Trunks, but before the last cut scene. The two of them are just getting to Pan's house. After that, we'll skip to Friday morning, for school. Enjoy! Pan and Chase haven't turned seventeen just yet, so Chase has been dating an older woman all this time. This chapter has a bit more insight on mermaid bio, as well as some borderline-rated M subjects that I won't go into **_**too**_** much depth with.**

* * *

**Pan's POV**

"I've been dreading this." I muttered, eyeing the torrents falling outside of my door. Trunks laughed and got out of the car, rushing around to my side with my backpack slung over his shoulder. I sighed sharply and swung my legs out of the car. The result was instantaneous. There was a flash of blue, and then my fins were resting on the muddy ground. Trunks scooped me up carefully and made his way to the open front door.

My brother held the door open, laughing at my indignant expression as Trunks carried me in. Mama had made a pallet of towels on the floor by the stairs and I was gently laid there so I could pat myself down. I was feeling lazy and simply laid flat on the pallet, looking into the kitchen. Papa put down the paper and laughed at me, "Long day?"

I nodded, "the _worst_." My mother came over and dropped a large towel on my face, "you are not about to put mildew in my carpet, young lady. Dry off." I blushed sheepishly and began rubbing myself down.

"So, what happened at school? Chase said we needed to be concerned." Papa asked, taking a sip of his tea. I gasped and turned to face my brother, "prodóti̱! I told you not to tell them!" He shrugged, "I didn't tell them, but I gave them the hint that they needed to hear it from you."

"Oh, save it." I hissed, truly feeling scorned by his blatant display of turnscale behavior. My parents were undeterred by my display of irritation and looked at me questionably.

"Since I'm not entitled to my own _privacy_," I eyed Chase sourly, "then I guess I should tell you about school today. We received a new student today, by the name of Zaiaku Chydaía aka Prince Nevus. You know; the total jerkfin I told you about when I first came on land? Oh yeah, he goes to Orange Star, now."

My mother's jaw dropped, "What? Why is he there?" I shrugged, "I don't know, but I'm pretty sure he has some kind of ulterior motive. He tried to sweet talk me at lunch today, and I ripped him a new one. He's trying to get all buddy-buddy with Bra and Marron."

"Well, tell them who he really is, Panny." Papa told me simply, "It wouldn't be wise for them to get involved with him." I nodded, "I'll call them and tell them about-" my back pack began to vibrate, and Trunks dug my cell phone out of side pocket, "looks like my sister beat you to it."

"Give me the phone." I dropped the towel and caught the phone as he tossed it to me and answered, "Hell-"

"What the _hell_ was that between you and Zak at lunch?" Bra's loud voice reverberated in my ears, and I resisted the urge to pull the cell phone away, "You'd better not be cheating on Trunks-"

"Whoa, Bra, take it down a notch!" I snapped, cutting her off, "and the day I actually harbor romantic feelings for that _cretin_ will be the day I die. Your precious little Zak is actually his royal ass holiness, Prince Nevus, come to the surface to make my life a living hell." I got my feet up under me and rushed up to my room to finish the conversation with a bit of privacy.

"How could you even think that I'd cheat on Trunks? I _love_ him more than anything; to cheat on him would be _vlasfimia_." I whispered into the phone, "Don't you have any faith in me?"

"I know, I know. I just thought something was up when you started speaking Mermish at lunch like that." Bra said softly, "I'm sorry, Panny." I shook my head, "It's alright... kai den eínai- I mean; it's _not_ Mermish."

"So..." she trailed off, "that's Prince Nevus. I mean, he's cute and all, but nothing compared to Goten. I couldn't imagine him being an abusive ass hole, though."

"He wasn't an abusive ass hole, but he was on the fast track to becoming one. I'm pretty sure he's made it to that point by now." I muttered, plopping on my bed, "do me a favor and call Marron to explain. I'm pretty sure she's next on the grapevine. And he wants you to think he's not, but he really is, hon."

"Alright then, I'll see you, tomorrow."

"Kaló̱s- I mean, alright then, bye." I laughed at my own mishap and hung up.

Teaching Kassie to speak Okeanago had really strengthened my tendencies to just start speaking it at any given moment. If I got really into a subject or an argument, I'd naturally slip into my base tongue to get my point further across. It was a bit embarrassing at school, and I had to explain my habit by lying to the other students and telling them I had distant relatives in Greece.

**(A/N: Yes, Okeanago is actually Greek. I would've used Latin, but then I'd be copying off of J.K. Rowling with the Harry Potter books. The Greek language just seems to fit mermaids better than Latin, though.)**

I plugged my phone up to charge and came back downstairs, "Bra said she'd tell Marron for me." My parents nodded and my mother placed a sandwich on the table for me, "Trunks, are you staying for dinner, again?"

My boyfriend shrugged, "if you'll have me." Mama grinned knowingly, "Go in the guest bathroom and towel off. I think Gohan's got some clothes that'll fit you." Papa rolled his eyes and returned to reading the paper. I giggled and kissed his cheek, "long day, Papa?" He kissed my forehead, "the absolute longest, Princess."

My mother, who'd been mixing up something in a bowl, bumped him in the back of his head, "You'd better be joking, husband of mine." I plopped down in front of my sandwich and began snarfing it down, satisfied with the turn of events. It seemed that I wouldn't be getting pulled out of school after all...

*Friday morning*

This morning I found a dark blue mini-dress with spaghetti straps and a full skirt that came down just above my knees. I paired this with some metallic silver tights and a pair of dark blue, round toed flats. I put a pale grey cardigan on over it and put my hair up in a ponytail before leaving my room.

"Raining again?" I said in disbelief, "Dende must not want me at school for some reason." Mama laid a plate of pancakes in front of me, "Dig in, you'll have to go in late." I sighed and sent a text to Marron and Bra, and then decided to check in on Kassie.

'_What's the verdict, Kas?_'

'_Pain... pain, and more pain._' She replied sadly, '_I thought I was going to get used to this, but I can't. I feel horrible for putting Daddy through this, though. He has a phobia of womanly things when it comes to me, and Momma couldn't take off of work until tomorrow._'

'_Do you want me to bring you anything?_'

'_My mother and a double fudge chunk super-size shake from Slurpee's for lunch, if you can._'

'_I might have to get my mom to tell yours to get the shake because it's pouring down raining._'

'_Okay. I'm going to the hot tub to sit for a spell. I'll see you when I see you._'

'_Alright, sweetie, take care of yourself._'

We exchanged mental farewells, and I began to eat my bacon as a bed draggled Chase came down the stairs, "Mom, can we just skip? The forecast is still overcast and rainy for the next week or so." Mama sighed softly, "You two are lucky you're so far ahead in class work. You can stay home." Chase fist pumped and headed back up the stairs, presumably to go back to sleep.

"I think I'll eat and go back to bed, too." I told Mama softly, "and I picked out this outfit for nothing. I'll ask Marron and Bra if they can skip and come over." My phone vibrated and I answered it, "hello?"

"Hey, Marron and I are coming over since you can't leave the house." Bra said at once, "It's no fun going to school when no one's there." I giggled, "How clairvoyant of you, Bra. I'll be waiting for you guys, and by waiting, I mean sleeping."

"Fine, but don't be surprised if you wake up and we're in the bed with you."

"Your spare pajamas are in the bottom drawer of my bureau. Have at it." I replied as I finished eating my breakfast, and kissed Mama on the cheek before hanging up, "Bra and Marron are coming over to sleep in my bed with me, so... yeah."

Mama rolled her eyes, "I'll let them in." I placed my dishes in the sink and looked at her apologetically, "I'd wash them, but... I need a chair or something." She smiled and cupped my cheek, "I know you'd wash dishes if you could, but I don't mind doing them... at least until Bulma invents something that'll allow you to do it on your own." I smirked and waved her off before heading back upstairs to put on my pajamas.

I slipped into my favorite flowy pink nightie and combed my hair out again before braiding it and slipping under the warm sheets of my canopy bed, listening to the rain falling outside of my window. I began to feel sleepy; rain always does that to me, and closed my eyes, drifting into peaceful slumber...

When I woke up a good five to six hours later, Bra was on one side of me, and Marron was on the other. My bed was big enough for all of us, plus Kassie, to sleep in and still have some room to roll around. Yeah, crazy, but very true.

The rain had stopped but it was still very much overcast outside, meaning things weren't just quite done yet. Bra moaned as she raised her head off of my pillow and brushed the hair out of her eyes, "Good morning, Panny."

I snickered, "Good morning, sleeping beauty." She rolled her eyes and reached over me to wake Marron, "Blondie! Wake up!" Marron grumbled unintelligibly and shoved her face further into her pillow. Bra rolled over onto my back, and then fell on top of Marron, who squealed like a guppy at the sudden weight on her back.

"Goodness, Blondie, you could sleep through the apocalypse; if it ever comes, that is." Bra told her with a giggle, shifting to the end on the bed. I sat up against the pillows, and Marron rolled over so she could see the both of us.

"What the heck do we do now? It's all cloudy out, and we can't go to the mall, because we don't know when it's going to rain again." Bra said softly, "this sucks."

"Let's go jump on Chase. I'm pretty sure he's still knocked out. After that, we can go to Kassie's house and see how she's doing."

"Speaking of that," Marron began looking at me, "_why_ can't he go see her, again? If I know Chase like I _know_ I do, then he ought to be chomping at the bit to wait on her hand and foot. He's so in love with her; she's a very lucky girl."

Bra and I looked at each other, giggling softly, and Marron scowled, "what is it? Why are you laughing at me?" I sniggered, "Maz, Kassie's basically the human version of Lígi last summer for the next five to seven days. Remember?"

Marron's eyes widened, "_holy_... do you have that?" I nodded, "since I'm not a full-blooded mermaid, I only have a Heat once every three years; and I only develop a few eggs. It actually started on my fifteen birthday. Talk about embarrassing, when I had to explain to my parents and brother why I was eyeing men like they were juicy pieces of meat."

"Let me guess... did Trunks offer to help you relieve the pain?" Bra asked, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes, "he did... but I said no. I didn't trust myself not to force him to have sex with me. That's why I have soundproofing in the walls, so I can... relieve myself in complete privacy. It's still pretty embarrassing when your parents and brother know what's going on. They know it was necessary to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, but when it was all over... I couldn't look them in the eye for the next few months."

"Aunt B installed some retractable katchin bars to my window, and there are saiyan proof force fields to go over the walls and door so I can't escape and use my womanly wiles on the hapless human men."

"Hold up, your next Heat is..."

"I'm well aware of the fact that my eighteenth birthday is also the same day as Senior Prom. I checked the online calendar ages ago." I mumbled, "And it's a blue moon that weekend, too... I won't be able to control myself at all."

"Blue Moon?"

"It plays a key part in our Heats, if it's present during that time; that is. If I have sex with Trunks that night, there's little to no chance that I'll walk away from it without a _little surprise_. The Blue Moon has a tendency to make mermaids in Heat even more fertile and needy than they already are. Dangerously so. Many of the multiple pregnancies that yield five to eight babies are from the Blue Moon's effects."

Marron and Bra were staring at me strangely, and I blushed, "Stop looking at me like that."

"I thought you had one when you were younger." Bra said, truly curious.

"My Coming of Age; that's a different thing." I told her softly, quickly shooting into an explanation, "I was giving off a pheromone that told all the males in my Kingdom that I was old enough to mate, and, in turn, sent them in a Rut, or male Heat. All the males were forced to leave the kingdom so I wouldn't get raped."

"This time around, I'm the one who's going to be on the receiving end. Any male; except for the ones I share a blood line with, with give off a scent that will... do _things_ to me that I'm embarrassed to mention."

Marron sighed softly, "I feel horrible for you and Kassie. Isn't her eighteenth birthday coming up?" I nodded, "It's this coming July. Mine isn't until a year from next month. I'll have to keep Chase away from her for the week or so that she's under, because I think the saiyan in him allows him to smell it, because when I had my first one, he said I smelt like smoked cherry blossoms and green tea leaves. When it went away, I smelt normal to him."

"We saiyans do have strong noses... and everything else. Our senses are much more heightened than a normal human's." Bra told me, "This is going to sound a bit gross, but Daddy knows when me and mom are about to start our monthly... so he can stay away."

I couldn't help it, I laughed, "that sounds like Vegeta. Sensing out the threat before it comes so he knows when to avoid the source." Marron giggled with me, and Bra huffed at us, "now, are we done discussing our menstrual and ovulation activities? Because I think we should go jump on Chase, now."

I hit Bra with a pillow and rolled out of bed, "come on." they waited for me to change into yoga pants and a long sleeve t-shirt, and then we headed down the hall to his bed room. Chase's room was decorated like mine, sans the lace and peach coloring. Instead, he had a rich sky blue and varying shades of darker and lighter blues to make it all come together. Instead of brown wood furniture, his was painted white.

I smirked to myself as he rolled over in his sleep and counted to three before launching myself onto the bed; Marron and Bra were just a second behind me, and starting to jump on him furiously. He began to roar like a grizzly bear fresh out of hibernation and threw his covers; and _us_, off of his back. Luckily we bounced onto the bed.

Before I could gather my bearings, Chase had all three of us tucked under his arms, and was carrying us out the back door, to the pond. Bra began to scream, "Chase, if you throw me in that pond, I will-"

All three of us went flying through the air and splashed into the pond. Within moments, our transformations set in. I was mildly shocked that Bra and Marron grew tails, but then I remembered the spell I put on them when we were younger. They could only sprout a tail in this pond, but nowhere else.

"Well, look at that." Marron giggled, "Chase found us something to do." Chase removed his shirt and pants, revealing a pair of boxers, and jumped into the water with us. I squealed and dove under the water to escape...

*later

We made it to Kassie's house at four, spending three hours floundering around in the pond with my silly brother. Mr. Furaru seemed relieved to see us, and pointed us in the direction of Kassie's room. We smiled, and I held up the sundae she asked for, "Your prayers have been answered." He laughed and waved me along.

"Kas? Sweetie, I got the sundae." I called, knocking on her door. I heard a frustrated groan before the door swung open, revealing the flushed face of the love of my brother's life. She looked at me and a hand fell to the small swell between her hips, "Panny, you are a lifesaver."

Kassie took the sundae and began to cry, "I'm so miserable and turned on... I want to get laid so badly..." Bra guided her over to the bed, where the sheets had been arranged into a sort of...

"Sweet pea," I began, stifling laughter, "Did you have another nesting mood swing the other day?" her bed sheets had been twisted and shaped into a nicely sized nest in the center of her bed. Kassie nodded, drinking her sundae mournfully, and I walked over and gave her a hug, "well, we're here to help."

"Panny, you can't help me with the things I need help with. I need the touch of a man. Chase; to be specific. Why can't you just send him over here with a condom!?"

"First; your father would kill me, you, and Chase, and second, contraception doesn't help with saiyan men. My mother, grandmother, and Aunt Bulma can contest to that."

Bra had to speak up, "my mother created saiyan proof condoms and birth control pills specifically for our prom night... just saying..." I shot her a glare as Kassie's eyes lit up, and then relented, "I'll send him over here tonight with the... pill and the _condom_," I hated saying condom; it was such a nasty word to me, "but you keeping it a secret is entirely on you and him."

Kassie nodded desperately, "I can keep it a secret, I mean, it's not like we haven't done- oops..." I gasped and looked over at her, "you already... and you didn't get... _wah_?! Where'd he get the-" I cut myself off and looked at Bra accusingly, "you've been supplying him, _haven't_ you?"

"If you mean through Goten... then yes. Hey, they have _needs_. Needs that Marron and I completely understand."

It's an ongoing joke that Trunks and I haven't had sex yet. Everyone else has; and I thought Kassie hadn't, and we're always getting ragged on. I'm honestly not in a rush to give it up just yet. Alright, I'd planned for prom night, but... with the Blue Moon... it would be a miracle for me not to get myself knocked up. Hopefully the saiyan proof contraception would work while there was a Blue Moon-charged Heat in the mix.

_Why am I obsessing over this, now?_ I asked myself, _I've got a year to think about this. An entire year. Twelve months. 365 days. 52 weeks... Oh kami..._

**(A/N: Oh yes, there is underage teen sex in this fic. Isn't there in all the other high school-esque fics? Besides, mermaids just strike me as the most libidinous, sexually charged mystical creature of all time. Those and Sirens, of course.)**

*the next Thursday*

The weather permitted me and Kassie to return to school after a week. My mother covered the absences by threatening to break off the steady stream of funding my Grampa put into the school. Needless to say, my attendance record was spotless, despite the weather and all that jazz.

Kassie, Marron, and I walked into our Culinary class; third period, and immediately flocked to our preferred cooking station. My eyes scanned the board, and I grinned, "Eggplant Parmesan Alfredo, yes." My gaze drifted to the door, and my peppy smile fell.

Bra, who was always behind to class because her second period was clear across the school, was making her way to the table, and behind her was my personal worst nightmare.

Nevus smiled timidly at me, and I shot him a cold glare and hissed, "_Leptó págo, Nevus, eíste porév̱etai páno̱ se leptó págo,_" before turning my attention to Mr. Odonaughue.

(Thin ice, Nevus, you're treading on thin ice.)

Kassie looked at me, '_Pan... I think you should cut him a bit of slack. Before you bite my head off, think about it. If you're continuously cruel to him, the other kids will notice, and then rumors will spread about the two of you having a history together. Do you want that?_'

I shook my head imperceptively, '_No, but I also don't think that he should be able to think that he can just force his way into my life and act like he's just always been a part of it. He knows I don't like him, but he still insists on sitting at our table and smiling at me in the hall way. The way he's going, people will think I divorced him or something._'

*after class*

I made my way out of the door, pushing ahead of the few students who took Culinary. A hot, large hand wrapped around my wrist and tried to pull me to a halt. This dumb ass didn't know that I trained every other day, and, as such, got dragged along with me into the hall. When he didn't let go, I headed into a back hall before I whirled around and hissed at him.

"Ti sto diáolo théleis, bástarde Vasilópais?"

(What the hell do you want, bastard Prince?)

Nevus sighed irritably, "na askí̱sei politikí̱ syzí̱ti̱si̱, ópo̱s oi ení̱likes pou eímaste. eínai tóso dýskolo gia sas?"

(To have a civil conversation like the adults that we are. Is that so hard for you?)

I laughed sarcastically and fired back, "_Dýskola_? Thélete na máthete Ti eínai _dýskolo gia ména_!? Skli̱ró eínai na vlépeis to próso̱po tou agorioú pou kakopoií̱thi̱ke to só̱ma mou, giatí arní̱thi̱ke na kámpsei ti̱ théli̱sí̱ tou kai na gínei gynaíka tou. Pó̱s _to óti_ gia _skli̱rá_?"

(_Hard?_ You want to know what's _hard for me!?_ Hard is looking into the face of the boy who molested my body because I refused to bend to his will and become his wife. How's _that_ for _hard_?)

His face fell and he whispered, "Lypámai ... Vasilopoúla, poté den sí̱maine gia na páne ta prágmata óti-"

(I'm sorry… Princess, I never meant for things to go that-)

"_Allá to ékanan__!_" I cut him off harshly, "Ti mikrí̱ empistosýni̱ pou eícha afí̱sei gia sas í̱tan spasména. Ti sto diáolo ékane na pistév̱o̱ óti me angízei, ópo̱s óti tha me kánoun na thélo̱ _na eímai mazí sou_?"

(_But you did!_ What little trust I had left in you was broken. What the hell made you think that touching me like that would make me want _to be with you?_)

Before nevus could think of another foolish reply, I legged it out of the back hall and went to Bio-chem. My good mood for the day had been completely shattered, and it was all his damned fault. In the back of my mind, I noted that the hand he grabbed had a peculiar tingle to it, but I chalked it up to my disgust that he'd touched me.

_Damn you for turning my world upside flipping down, you son of a bitch..._

**No POV**

Nevus admired the gentle sway of Pan's hips as she fast-walked out of the back hall and to her next class, smirking at his triumph. While she'd been dragging him along with her startling amount of strength, he'd managed to murmur a simple spell that; by the next morning, would turn things completely sour for her.

_You should pay more attention to the people that touch you, my Queen, or you might just find yourself on the wrong end of an __afydáto̱si̱s__ hex..._

The dark prince chuckled humorlessly to himself before waltzing out of the hallway and to his next class. That simple moment of holding on to the arm of his future Queen had made his day much brighter.

_Thank you for turning my world right-side up again, you beautiful jewel..._

* * *

**Uh oh, Pan's been hexed. It's a bit too soon in the game to start the action, but this is actually really minor. What he's done will actually lessen the amount of time he gets to spend in Pan's presence... at least until she solves it, that is.**

**Afydáto̱si̱s****- Greek for Dehydration. What do you think is going to happen? For those of you who want a clue, refer to chapter eighteen for an explanation of what the hex will do.**

**Have fun waiting for the next chapter. Look out for it on Friday, or Thursday if I work fast.**

**-SukiChan12^-^**


	27. Saturday gone Sour

**Now, I'm going to explain myself. If anyone remembers from earlier chapters, both Pan and Kassie need to swim at least **_**once**_** a month to keep what happened on planet Rudeeze from happening. Swimming more often helps them hold moisture longer, and, in effect, let them avoid that.**

**The dehydration hex will make the moisture leave Pan's body, faster and faster; with the more water she takes in, until she has to spend all day in the water just to stay alive. Left unattended without a counter-spell it could be fatal.**

**I'm gonna tweak the symptoms thought, because going blue in the face and passing out is boring. Whether or not Pan can figure it out and reverse the hex is on me... but I'm not going to make it easy on her.**

**Don't you just **_**love**_** being in on the secret while the characters flounder around, confused? Alright, enough chitchat, let's start the chapter. I hope my explanation is logical to you guys.**

**Symptoms- thirstiness, shortness of breath, trouble inhaling deeply, sudden/random coughing fits, rosy tinge to the face, like the victim is overheating, blue tinge to the face or lips; like suffocation, dry skin and/or itchy skin; rash, sudden weakness or faintness during the day, and, of course, passing out, or not being able to breathe and passing out.**

* * *

*Saturday morning*

**Pan's POV**

Chase and I found ourselves sprawled on the living room floor; couch in my case, watching the Saturday morning cartoons... just like any _other_ Saturday. We lay there and watched the toons until we heard the sizzle of bacon and eggs being cooked, and then we would drift into the kitchen to grab breakfast before retreating back to the living room to watch some more. Toons went off at 11:45, and the rest of our day commenced.

I inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet scent of pancakes on the griddle and got off of the sofa, "come on, the pancakes are almost ready." My hand came up to scratch the irritating itch on the back of my neck as I passed Chase, and I heard him gag, "what's that on your neck?"

I frowned, "what do you mean?" Chase came up behind me and moved my hair away from my neck, "you have this gross looking patch of peeling skin on the back of your neck. It's all red and irritated."

**(A/N: When skin dries, it peels. Usually only on the lips, but yeah... you get me.)**

Mama peeked out of the kitchen at us and came over to me to look for herself. She made a soft, disgusted noise in the back of her throat, "go get the cortisone cream out of my restroom. I'll put some on it, and we'll see if the rash goes away." I nodded and headed up the stairs to complete my task.

_A rash? I'm a very hygienic person, so how could I possibly have a rash?_ I entered Mama and Papa's bathroom and found the cortisone in a drawer on Mama's side of the counter. I grabbed the tube of cream and left the room. Before I could leave, I spotted an irritated patch of red on the side of my left hip when my shirt rode up a little. I groaned softly and went back to the kitchen.

Mama dragged me up to my room and pulled my shirt up to take in the damage, "sweet heart, this rash is going straight down the middle of your back, to your hips." I blushed, embarrassed, as she pulled my pants down a little, revealing the lacy purple boy short underwear I wore to bed.

"Take your pants off, Panny." I sighed and pulled my pants down. She cursed softly, and I glanced down. The rash trailed down the outside of my legs, all the way to my ankles. It seemed like it itched more when I knew it was there, and I reached down to scratch, but Mama slapped my hand away.

"Lay on your stomach on the bed so I can put the cream on you."

I took my shirt the rest of the way off and lay on the bed. The cooling sensation of the cream set in, and I moaned as the burn of the rash started to fade. I heard Mama laugh as she massaged the cream into my skin with firm hands, "what did you roll around in naked?"

"I don't do much of anything naked, Mama." I quipped back, and then sighed as she began smoothing the cream onto the sides of my thighs. The smug woman laughed again, and continued to rub the cream in.

*later*

I decided to go visit Trunks at his job. For this feat, I had to wear something that screamed '_Trunks' girlfriend_' so I went with a pair of khaki skinny jeans, a pale blue and white striped button down, and some pale blue heelless pumps. I very rarely wore heels, but sometimes I entertained the idea because they made my legs look insanely long.

I left my hair down and applied a bit of natural toned shadow and eyeliner, and some lip gloss that wasn't too much different from the color my lips already had. I also grabbed my pair of white sunglasses, put some make-up and phone into a nice purse and grabbed the keys to my capsule car.

I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine, enjoying the purr of the finely tuned piece of machinery before pulling away from the house and speeding over to West City.

*Reception*

"Hi, I'm Trunks Brief's girlfriend, Pan Son." I said cheerily to Jana, the receptionist on Trunks' office floor. She looked annoyed with me, "He's busy right now, come back-"

"Ms. Crafter, my schedule's been clear all day. Don't lie to the beautiful lady." I heard the voice of my boyfriend say cheekily as his arms wrapped around my waist. Jana looked positively pissed and she stared daggers at the arms around my waist. The dagger-glare morphed into a smile when Trunks peered over my shoulder at her.

"Come on, let's go hang out in my office." I grinned and grabbed his hand, following him to his office. I could feel Jana glaring at my back as we moved past her. _He's mine; go find your own man._

"I added something new to the office." Trunks told me, truly excited, "It's a way for me to relax in between meetings." I raised a brow as he opened the door to his office, "hurry up, Ms. Son." I laughed and rushed inside. He shut the door behind me and moved to the wall, where he pressed his hand against a particular panel in the wall.

"Holy Dende..."

A hot tub rolled out of the wall, big enough to seat eight people. Trunks smirked at my awed face, "care to join me?" I bit my lip, "What about..." I trailed off, knowing he'd understand my meaning. He held up a capsule, "a quick dryer. I remember what happened the last time I tried to dry you off with my ki, and it didn't turn out so great." I nodded, _and the burns were even worse..._

"Okay..." I set my things down on the couch behind his desk; my usual spot to lie down while he worked. It made the secretaries jealous to no end when they came in and I was lying back there, doing stuff on my phone.

I took off my heels and began to unbutton my top. Trunks was already clad in swimming trunks, and offered me a white and pink string bikini. I took the bikini and went into his personal bathroom to change. As I changed, however, I noticed that my face looked a tiny bit flushed, and I felt a little warm. I shook my head at myself and put on the bikini before heading out to get in the tub.

Trunks was already in the tub and stood up to help me get in, because throwing one leg in after the other probably wouldn't turn out so well. He scooped me up in his arms and placed me in the warm water, and I welcomed the rush of energy I felt whenever I transformed. For some reason, it felt even more invigorating this time.

"You look as stunning as ever." Trunks told me softly, pulling me into his side. I snuggled into him and kissed the side of his neck, "you look as handsome as ever. Slow day?" He nodded, "no meetings or anything important. I've been signing stuff for most of the day, and I've finished my workload already."

"Let's go to lunch after this." I suggested, "I haven't eaten lunch yet, have you?" Trunks shook his head, "I forgot mine at home, I'm afraid." I hit him on the arm, "you need to eat a lot, and it's not good to neglect that."

"I'm curious... what possessed you to get a hot tub in your office. That's a strange place for a hot tub to go." Trunks shrugged, "I was thinking of sitting in here with you on a slow day in the office, just spending time with my Angelfish..."

His lips met my neck and I hissed as his mouth began to suck and pull on the skin there, threading my fingers through his silky hair, "Trunks..." He growled against my skin and kissed a trail down to my collar bone, where he began to suck and nip at my skin. I moaned softly, pressing my face into his hair. His touch did some crazy things to me; that was for sure.

The tips of my tail twitched in the hot water at the pleasure, and soon the motions grew to include my whole tail. The entire mass of muscle twitched and flapped, stirring up the water as his suckling got deeper and more forceful. I felt moisture below, and my skin was feeling hotter than the water we were in. With a breathy moan, I pulled his head up and pressed my lips to his hungrily.

Trunks moved so he was straddling my lap; as I couldn't straddle his, and he began to deepen the kiss, thrusting his tongue deep into my mouth. I moaned loud as my tongue tried to wrap around his in vain, and he groaned before successfully wrapping his tongue around mine. His hands slid down my body, over my trim waist to grip at my full, lush hips. I felt... _him_ rocking against me, and that was like cold ocean water on a fresh wound.

"Oh!" I sat up sharply, and then promptly melted; as he'd somehow nosed his way past my top and began to suck on my left nipple. I secretly loved it when he played with my breasts. Sure, we've never had sex, but we've done... _other_ things.

He was well used to me jumping when I felt _him_ against me, because I have trouble acclimating to feeling him touching me like that. It was just... _weird_ to me for some odd reason, but I tended to get used to it quickly. It was just the shock of the first sensation that got me.

"Bab-by," I stuttered as his lips worked magic on my chest, "we c-can't. The s-secretary is ri-ight outsi-ide."

"Does it matter?" Trunks asked coyly, and I whimpered softly before replying, "You know I have trouble with people hearing me while I'm... _occupied_."

When I had my first Heat, Trunks helped me over the phone. Yes, we had one-sided phone sex, and it was horrible for me; moaning wantonly into the phone while he listened. It was wholly embarrassing, but he said he didn't mind listening, because he was helping me relieve the pain, and all he wanted was for me to feel better.

"I know, Angelfish, I know." He sighed softly, "kami, you don't know how badly I want to hear you lose yourself." I nodded and fixed my top, trying to calm the storm of unsatisfied lust in my gut, "come on, love, you owe me lunch." Trunks chuckled and kissed my forehead before climbing out and going into the bathroom.

While he was gone, the office door opened to reveal my twin and Kassie; the former quickly shutting the door when he realized I wasn't in my human form. Trunks came back out of the restroom, "I uncapsulated the quick dryer in there for you."

"A hot tub, Trunks?" Kassie asked, coming over to my side, "sweet. Does that mean we can hang out in your office?"

"What better way to attract potential business partner then to lure them in with two insanely beautiful pet mermaids?" Chase joked, and then flinched as both Kassie and I looked down; remembering the last time someone had brought up pet mermaids. The last time that happened, we ended up in a tank with shock collars around our necks, mind you.

"Kas, Pan, I'm-"

"It's alright," I whispered, "I'm getting over the trauma." Though it wasn't as bad as it'd been three years ago, I still had the occasional nightmare of being trapped in that tank while my family looked down on me with hatred and sadistic humor in their eyes. The shock collar around my neck pulsed electricity through my body, and my screams only elicited cold, unfeeling laughter...

"...Pan? _Pan?_" I jumped and looked up at Trunks meekly, "huh?" He chuckled nervously and brushed a damp curl out of my face, "I thought I'd lost you there." I smiled, knowing it didn't reach my eyes, and wrapped my arms around his neck so he could lift me out.

Through peripheral vision, I saw my brother and Kassie standing by the windows. Chase had her pulled firmly against his chest, and their foreheads were pressed together. I could see the faint glistening of tears in her eyes as he whispered in her ear. So I hadn't been the only one whose mind had wandered to haunting memories...

Trunks placed me on the seat in the miniature shower stall-like contraption and pressed the button. Within moment, I was sitting in my pink and white bikini, and hurriedly changed back into my street clothes before emerging from the bathroom.

The hot tub was gone, and Trunks was coming out of his second bathroom, dressed in casual street clothing, rather than the suit he'd been wearing earlier, consisting of a blue and white striped button down with rolled up sleeves, khaki pants, and light blue converse.

"We're matching, you copycat." I chided, taking his hand. Trunks chuckled and wrapped his arm around my waist and leading me out of his office. He waved as we passed Jana's desk, "I'm taking my lady to lunch, and I don't plan on coming back in to work, so I guess I'm clocking out."

Jana glared at me as I smiled cheekily at her, "don't you just love a man who's willing to drop _anything_ for you?" She rolled her eyes before replying, "There's also some good in having a man who can take on responsibility without issue." I shrugged, "if that man also understands the concept of having fun as well, then that _is_ a good thing to have, now isn't it? I know it is for me." Her face contorted into a scowl as she bid Trunks a nice lunch and the rest of the day.

_He is mine, bitch._ I made sure to give him a nice kiss before the elevator doors closed, just to boil her blood a little.

"Mmmm, you're cute when you're jealous." Trunks told me softly, placing both of his hands on my hips. I blushed and whispered, "You saw that?" He nodded and pulled me back, so my back was flush against his chest, "I know you like the back of my hand. That was trademark jealous behavior for you. Speaking of jealousy, you have no need to be. I'm all yours."

"Oh, I know you're all mine. It's women like her who don't get the picture." I murmured, turning to peck his lips, "so I have to stake my claim constantly, so they don't get any ideas."

Chase gagged from his side of the elevator. He was leaned up against the wall with Kassie basically lounging against his torso. It appeared that he was the one carrying their weight at the moment. I rolled my eyes at him, "You don't hear me gagging when I see you shoving your tongue down poor Kassie's throat, you hypocrite."

"Isn't making yourself scarce basically showing your disgust?" Chase asked coyly, raising a brow at me. I yearned to wipe the smirk off of his face, and started to reach over when my brain just went... blah on me. My footing faltered, and I pitched into the back wall of the elevator with a soft groan.

Trunks grabbed me by the waist, "Angelfish?" I pressed a hand to my forehead, "that was... _strange_. That was _very_ strange." My brother and Kassie were watching me worriedly, and I smiled reassuringly, "I'm sure it was a little fluke, I'm... I'm actually kind of _parched_."

"When was the last time you went for a dip?" Kassie asked, truly concerned. "Believe it or not, right then in Trunks' office in the hot tub." I replied, shaking my head, "Maybe I just need to get some water in me, and I'll be as right as rain."

"We'll get you some water at the restaurant." Chase said; pulling Kassie along as the elevator came to a halt on the bottom floor. Trunks kept a firm arm around my waist, apparently afraid I'd have another dizzy spell... or whatever it was. I forced down a bout of coughs that had begun to tickle my throat and let him lead me outside, to the limo waiting for us...

*at the restaurant*

"Pan... that is your _eighth_ glass of water. Are you sure you're _alright_?" Kassie looked incredibly alarmed as I set my empty glass down. I frowned at the glass; it had a pretty large volume, and I'd managed to down eight straight glasses of water in the short amount of time since we'd been seated at the table.

"Damn, sis," Chase started to say, awed, "if I didn't know it was impossible, I'd say you have a clean case of diabetes."

My throat began to burn for more water, and I rubbed my fingers against it with a barely audible whine. This thirst was getting to be ridiculous. Trunks noticed my desperate look and slid me his barely touched glass, "drink up, Angelfish." I practically snatched the glass from the table; barely avoiding sloshing it onto myself, and suctioned my lips to the straw with a desperate moan.

_Water's never tasted so good..._

Trunks watched me vacuum up the water, and then forcibly took the glass from me when I'd begun to reach in for an ice cube.

"Princess, I know you're really thirsty, but ice cubes are wet, and you don't need to pop a tail in public." He told me softly, squeezing my hand, "I'll get you some more water." I whimpered softly, "Trunks, my throat is really _dry_..." Tears were beginning to form in my eyes as the burn grew too painful for me to cope with, and I heard Kassie gasp.

"Pan, your _skin_!"

I looked down, frowning. Why was I so flushed today? Chase looked very alarmed, and I saw his hand twitch towards his cell phone, "sis, your face is _bright_ red."

I started to say something, but the dryness in my throat made me start coughing instead. Trunks patted my back as I nearly hacked up a lung, and reached across the table to take Chase's water.

When I could breathe again, I latched on to the straw and sucked the cool relief down at lightning speed, shivering as the dryness went away... only briefly. Now my chest had begun to feel tight, and my airways felt constricted. Another coughing fit set in, and I was having trouble taking in air between coughs.

"That's it, let's get her home." Trunks helped me up and laid some bills on the table before ushering me outside. I leaned heavily on him, trying to take in air while coughing violently. When we got outside, Chase uncapsulated his air car on the sidewalk, and Trunks slid into the backseat with me cradled to his chest, while Chase and Kassie took the front.

"Chase, let's get a move on, she's going blue in the face!" Trunks barked, looking down at my face worriedly. I tried to tell him to give me some water, but my lungs wouldn't function properly, and black spots began to burst into my vision. I felt the vehicle lurch into the sky as the last vestiges of my sight faded away into blackness...

I came to lying on the floor of our kitchen in mermaid form. My parents, Chase and Trunks leaned over me worriedly, watching for any signs of distress. I took an easy, clear breath and relaxed into the mound of pillows propping me up against the cupboard.

"Oh, thank kami." My mother breathed, laying a hand against my cheek, "sweetie, are you alright?" I nodded tiredly, lolling my head against her hand, "I can breathe now. That must be what it's like for those poor kids with asthma."

Trunks kissed the top of my hand and squeezed it gently. I looked up at him and smiled lazily, "I think I might have gotten sick."

"Either that or hexed." Kassie said softly, kneeling beside my tail, "how are you feeling?" I nodded, "Much better than either, thank Spirits."

"You scared the Dende out of me, sweet girl." Mama told me sternly, "how did you think I reacted when your brother and Trunks charged in here, carrying you. Your lips were starting to turn _purple_, for Dende's sake." I looked down, "I'm sorry, Mama, I think this might be a mermaid-type of illness."

"How do we cure it?" Papa asked, laying his hand on my arm. Now I could really tell the both of them were scared that they would lose me to whatever this was that I'd caught. The fear and alarm was still fresh in their eyes, and they looked to be out of their wits. _Did Mama call Papa home from work?_

"Judging by today's reaction, I need to stay in mermaid form at all times, at least until it tides over." I mumbled, and then frowned, truly confounded, "I just... I don't remember any illness that would do this to me; other than the natural reaction to spending too much time without transforming, and I've been doing that more than what's necessary to stop it from happening. I'm really lost here..."

"We can manage that." Mama said softly, pushing an errant curl out of my face, "why don't you lay here and rest?"

I nodded; I was truly exhausted from the strange, scary events that took place, and I was ready to close my eyes and get some rest so I could think about this mess with a clear, well rested mind. Kassie laid a blanket over me, "there's a glass of water right next to your pillow in case you dry out or get thirsty." I smiled in thanks and let my eyes drift closed...

**No POV**

Gohan lingered at the kitchen door, waiting for the others to trickle out before he confronted Trunks. He'd seen his bizarrely over-protective behavior when they'd brought Pan in, along with the small interaction he'd had when Pan had been awake, and he wanted to know the truth.

He looked up when he saw Trunks getting up from his knees, still watching over Pan as she slept, and made his way over to him.

"She looks lovely when she's sleeping, doesn't she?" Trunks jumped slightly, and then turned to face Gohan warily, "yeah, she does." She truly looked like the angel she was, with her wavy dark hair spread over the pillow, framing her small, perfectly face, and the long curly lashes that rested against her full, round cheeks.

Gohan smiled at the wistful expression on Trunks' face. He knew it well; and wore it often, especially at work, when he day-dreamed about his lovely wife.

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Trunks nodded, looking down at his shoes, waiting for a firm rebuttal or; worse, the ass kicking of his life. To his surprise, neither came. Gohan smiled at him, "I can tell she loves you, too, just by the way she looked at you when you touched her hand. Treat her right, Trunks Briefs, or I'll be forced to kill you. I've only had her for five years, so don't expect me to be easy on you if you screw up."

Both of the men turned to Pan when she moaned in her sleep and shifted onto her side, smiling. She mumbled Trunks' name before lapsing back into deep slumber, and he smiled leaning down to stroke her soft hair.

Gohan left the two of them alone in the kitchen, not wanting to intrude on the seemingly intimate moment between his daughter and his brother's best friend.

"You handled that rather well, hon."

Videl ghosted up beside him and placed a hand on his arm, "I half-expected you to go berserk on him." Gohan rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Nope. Pan would never forgive me... but I did consider it, though. I knew I couldn't do it when I saw how much he clearly cares for her, and she for him."

"She's been in love with him for a long time, you know." Videl told him softly, "Since she was pretty young." The eldest Son of Goku nodded, "I had a hunch. A relationship as strong and stable as theirs can't come from a few months of being together."

"I'm proud of you for holding it together." She whispered, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him before heading towards the kitchen door, "I'm going to fix her something to eat for when she wakes."

Gohan watched her disappear into the kitchen, hypnotized by the gentle sway of her hips as she leisurely strolled along. He bit his lip; the years had been extremely good to his wife... and her... _attributes_. He swallowed thickly before retreating to his office to calm his raging hormones by reading a good book.

_Kami, the things that woman does to me just by leaving the room..._

**Pan's POV**

When I finally did wake up, I was in my bed, under the covers, and Trunks was fast asleep beside me. Outside of my window, the sun was nearly down, and I noticed my mother coming in with a small plate of food and a glass of cranberry juice. She noticed me watching her, and I sat up and took the glass and the plate thankfully.

"I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight, now that I've slept for most of the day." I mumbled, and then examined my plate, "ooh, quesadillas with creamy ranch." Mama laughed and kissed my forehead, "enjoy, baby. I'll be back later to get your dishes." She left the room, only to come back with a second, larger plate and a glass of grape juice for Trunks, who'd begun to stir at the smell of food.

"Thanks, Videl." He told Mama softly, taking the plate from her. I blushed at the grin he had on his face, and my tail flapped gently under the sheets. Mama left the room, and he smiled at me, "feeling better?"

"Much better, because you were here when I woke up. Today really wore me out." I said quietly, stuffing a piece of the quesadilla in my mouth and chewing, "and scared me. I hope I'm not sick for too long."

"I called my mom and told her I wouldn't be coming in for work until you felt better." Trunks said quietly, eating his own food, "I just want to help you get better." I leaned over and kissed his cheek, "you're so sweet." He returned the kiss, and we began to eat our food in content silence...

* * *

**So, Kassie has the right idea, but no one really acknowledged her when she said it. The hex has set in fully, and we'll have to wait and see if Pan gets wise to what Nevus has done to her. In the meantime, leave some possible suggestions I could use for hexes in the future, because nevus likes to fight dirty. Not just hexes for Pan, but her friends as well. Hope you enjoyed the read!**

**-SukiChan12^-^**


	28. Drawing Lines in the Sand

**I'm going to skip over Sunday and go to Monday. So Pan's stuck at home from school, leaving her friends and brother at Nevus's mercy. We'll; hopefully, see another first person in this chapter. I completely forgot that by technicality, Kassie is the heir to the throne, because her mother was Rasana. Go all the way back to like... chapter seven or eight to get the full back story.**

* * *

**Long story short, Raissa; Kasaiya, was taken to the surface and turned into a human by wizards when she was just a baby. These wizards also killed her father, who'd died protecting her. Pan was taken from the nursery and turned into a mer-baby to make up for the loss.**

**I want to do a Kassie/Nevus face-off in this chapter, but I don't know... I haven't received any hex ideas, so I'm going to use some from one of my original works.**

**So far, I've pulled four from the list. A pain hex, amnesia spell, lust spell, and an illusion hex. The rest of them didn't suit the theme of the story... That and they were a bit on the wild side... O.O**

**Alright, enough about that, let's get on to the juicy stuff, huh?**

**-INSERT DISCLAIMER HERE-**

**It's come to my attention that I've never disclaimed anything I've written, and my excuse is that I don't need to. If I were Stephenie Meyer, Akira Toriyama, or Stan Lee, I sure as **_**hell**_** wouldn't be wasting my time writing fan fiction when I have enough money to pay people to write fan fiction **_**for**_** me. Lol, I would still prefer to do that myself, though, if I was. But I'm not, so yeah, I don't feel the need to disclaim anything I know is **_**not**_** mine.**

**Pan's POV**

"You have any fours?"

"Nope. Go fish."

I sighed and snatched a card off of the top of the deck, adding it to my hand, "Being sick sucks major butt..." Trunks smiled comfortingly and asked if I had any twos.

I had two two's. _Dammit_, I thought to myself, passing him the two cards with a scowl. He kissed the side of my hand before taking the cards, making me laugh as I reached over to my bedside table for my spritz bottle. I carefully sprayed my upper body with the cool water and set the bottle back down, "Tell me, hon, do _you_ have any twos?"

Trunks smirked at me, "you little minx," and passed me my cards back. I smiled cheekily and placed the pair of cards on the bed.

Our game of Go Fish concluded of a large book on my lap; serving as a playing surface, and a deck of assorted playing cards... and some rice balls filled with tempura shrimp. I _loved_ those things.

I grabbed my half-eaten rice ball from my place and took a bite, enjoying the savory taste on my tongue... and the feeling of Trunks' warm hand resting on my tail. I could feel my fins flapping contently against the mattress; as they always did when Trunks was touching me.

Well... my fins were _trying_ to flap. Lígi had made herself a bed on my fins, and I could see the mound of white fluff lying on the end of my tail. She had made a habit of doing that now that I was spending more time in mermaid form.

Trunks followed my gaze and chuckled, "I think she finds the end of your tail very comfy, Panny." I rolled my eyes, "how am I supposed to stretch when she's always lying down there?"

Another problem with being a mermaid all the time. The muscles in my tail were acclimated to being constantly active, and all this sitting around made them twitch and bunch sporadically. It was a bit on the irritating side and mildly painful sometimes.

"Do you want to go for a swim in the pond?"

"Maybe later, when she wakes up. I don't want to disturb her." I said softly. Annoying sleeping places aside, Lígi was my baby, "let her sleep."

"I can feel the twitching, you know. I'm not paralyzed from the neck down." Trunks' gaze moved pointedly to the hand he had resting on my lavender and periwinkle scales, and I sighed softly before relenting, "be gentle with her. She likes her rest."

Surprisingly, Trunks was amazingly gentle as he moved Lígi to her personal pillow on the foot of my bed. The little white puff never even stirred. His arms came around me, and I moved the book, cards and plate around so they wouldn't make a mess. My arms wrapped around his neck, and he carried me through the house and out of the backdoor.

"Thank kami we have no neighbors. What would they think if they saw you carrying a mermaid out of the backdoor?" I murmured in his ear, and then nuzzled his face.

"Well... since my mother is Bulma Briefs, they'd probably be convinced that I experimented on you and turned you into a mermaid." Trunks replied with a laugh, and then lowered me into the water. I gave him a sneaky peck on the lips and dove under the water before he could react, giggling to myself.

I felt the water push against me as something splashed beneath the surface, and I looked around myself warily. Trunks swam up under my and grasped my hips, making me jump and look down. His smirking face was the first thing I saw, and I hit him with my tail before swimming up to the surface.

"What's wrong, love?" Trunks' cheeky voice asked as he came up next to me, and I scowled at him, "You scared me." He cupped my cheek and kissed my forehead, "I'm sorry, Angelfish." I rolled my eyes and kissed him back, "you're forgiven." I found his hand and pulled him along as I began to swim, putting my tail to good use so my petulant muscles wouldn't decide to atrophy on me.

"You must carry swimming trunks on you at all times." I murmured, looking him up and down. He shrugged, "Well, when you have a mermaid for a girlfriend, you have to cover all the bases." I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck, "better to be thorough, huh?" Trunks nodded, wrapping his arms around my waist.

**(A/N: I've been trying to work in a small lemon for these two, you know; before they get to the big act and all, so do look out for that. The rating's about to go from T to M, lol.)**

Our lips met in a hot, wet, hungry kiss that made tingles rush through my body like a swarm of clown fish. I groaned softly as he pushed us over to the bank and laid me in the shallows before kissing and licking across the smooth expanse of my throat and collar bone.

"No nosy secretaries here, Panny." Trunks whispered between licks, "no one but us and Lígi, and she's taking a nap. I could make you scream you lungs out if I wanted." I moaned wantonly and arched my back, pushing my chest into his neck. He got the picture and pulled my tube top down, freeing my breasts.

"Oh Trunks..." I whispered as his lips closed around one of my nipples, gently manipulating the sensitive nub in his hot mouth. The ridges of his teeth brushed over it, and my hips jerked out of the water. The tail slapped the surface of the pond, and he chuckled, "I know, Panny," and went back to driving me wild.

Trunks had my body mapped out in his head. He knew what I liked and what I didn't like. He knew what spots would turn me into a writhing pile of aroused goo and exactly how to touch me and get me all riled up. He knew my pressure points and exactly how to work them in his favor and make me scream his name.

Spirits, was there anything this man _couldn't_ _do_? Besides cooking, of course.

I whined and mewled quietly as his mouth began to move down my abdomen, to the line where smooth skin merged into iridescent scales. His tongue began to dance across this line, tracing it with the very tip of his tongue and leaving a line of flames in his wake. I groaned and buckled my hips at him to give him a hint. Below my waist, I felt the sheaf of small, soft scales that hid my lady bits move aside, revealing my moist blossom to him.

He never said anything about it, but I knew that he secretly loved it when the scales parted just for him. The light in his eyes was testament to that.

I felt the tips of his fingers ghost over me, and I moaned, pushing myself against his hand. That light flashed in his eyes again, and he grinned at me, "Fingers, then?"

_Spirits, does it look like I care how you please me?! Just do it!_ I gave an impatient whimper, and felt the last of the scales in his way move aside, leaving me open and vulnerable to him. His eyes glowed, and I gave a content sigh as he pressed his fingers slipped into my opening.

**(A/N: Aside from the scaly covering, female mermaids have the same anatomy down below as a human woman.)**

Mindless noises leaked from my lips as two of his miracle digits slipped inside of me, massaging the sides of my tunnel in a way that made me see stars. I couldn't even tell what I was saying, I was so far gone. Trunks cradled my upper body in one arm, while his fingers plunged in and out of me like a piston. I wrapped my arms around his neck for dear life, as I was sure the sensation of him was about to send me spiraling off into another dimension.

Trunks curled his fingers just so and I released a small shriek and one of my hands moved to grip the hair at the nape of his neck. _Spirits, what the hell was that?_ Trunks repeated the action, and I felt the wave of heated passion building up inside, threatening to consume us both. Water sprinkled over us as my tail began to frantically slap against the water, twitching and writhing sporadically.

_Come on, baby, just a little..._

His fingers brushed that spot once, twice, three more times... and I was swept away by the tsunami of stimulation and pleasure. My scream echoed across the lake, tapering off into sharp pants and high pitched mewls as I rode out the intense orgasmós.

**(A/N: Turns out climax in Greek is basically orgasm, as you can see above.)**

Trunks was still, letting me finish riding the wave until my hips and tail lay flat and still in the water. I brushed an errant lock out of my face with a shaking hand and felt him removed his fingers from my flower. The scales moved back into place and I laid my head on his shoulder, "Spirits..."

"That good?" Trunks asked softly, pulling my top back over my breasts. I nodded and kissed his throat, "can I return the favor?" I felt him stiffen and smirked to myself, reaching for the waistband of his trunks.

"Sweet, a swimming party!"

Kassie's voice was like a bucket of Artic water to my face, and my hand zipped back to my lap before she could get within range. She came to a halt at the edge of the water, smiling mischievously, "You guys think you are _so_ slick. You think we don't know what you've been up to? It's pretty obvious; Pan's out of school, and you took off work to watch over her..."

"Kassie, that's my sister..." Chase groaned, "How am I supposed to look her in the face if you bring up her doing _that_?" My blush flared up and I rolled out of Trunks' arms and fled into the depths of the pond, truly embarrassed.

_Why wasn't it big news when they did things, but if Trunks and I get up to anything, they rag on us like we're just any old irresponsible teeny bopper couple you'd see on the streets? That wasn't fair; we didn't make fun of them when we caught them in the act_.

I found a spot to recline against the side of the pond, ignoring the nasty sensation of the mud squishing against my back. I was mad, dammit; I didn't give a crap at the moment.

The water pushed against me as someone; most likely Kassie, dove into the pond to look for me. I growled and pushed off from the wall, swimming into the darker recesses at the bottom of the lake. At the moment, I was liable to rip off her head and shove it down her throat, and I honestly wasn't in the mood to fix problems I caused in a fit of anger.

_Spirits, I just had the best damn orgasm in the world, and she just had to ruin it... Life is horribly unfair._ My post-coital bliss had given way in the wake of my anger at being ousted and teased like a naughty child caught with to chéri mou sto vázo biskóto̱n.

(_my hand in the cookie jar._)

'_Panny, come on, don't be like this. We were just poking fun._' Kassie's voice rippled through my mind, and a scowl wormed its way onto my face.

I harshly bit back, '_I have _never_ teased you, Bra, or Marron when I knew you and your boyfriends were up to something, so why do I get teased if Trunks and I get caught kissing? Last time I checked, we've been dating longer than all three of you, so we hold the seniority here. _We_ should be teasing _you_, but we don't._'

'_Panny, seriously? Are you really that annoyed by us teasing you?_'

'_Yes, I am. It tends to grow old with time, Kassie, everything does eventually. In my eyes, it's like you don't see me as an equal, and it makes me feel like a child. I'm clearly not a child, so stop treating me like one. I'd like to be able to doing things with my boyfriend without getting the damn Spanish Inquisition every time we get caught, if I'm allowed to ask _that_ much of you._'

'_Pan, I'm sorry. I promise you, we never meant to make you feel that way; it's just... you're a hell of a lot more innocent than the rest of us, and it makes us see you as a lot younger than everyone else. We tease you because it kind of weirds us out to see you doing things with Trunks that we do with our boyfriends._'

'_I'm not a lot younger. Chase and I have the same birthday._'

'_I know that_,' she said with a giggle, '_but you don't have the same understanding and experience with the surface that we do, and we see it as our responsibility to help you navigate._'

'_I see your point, but please... the teasing needs to come to a stop._'

'_Alright, we'll stop. Come on back up here so I can tell you about what happened at school today._'

'_Fine._' I rolled my eyes before swimming up to the surface. When Trunks saw me, he waded out to me and pulled me into a gentle hug. I sighed into his embrace, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Angelfish."

I blushed as he kissed me on the lips and pulled me back into the shallows... just in time to watch Kassie scoot herself over to us. Chase started guffawing, and she shot him a glare, "I wouldn't have to do this if _my_ _boyfriend_ would _help_ _me_."

Chase stifled his laughter and went to help her get over to my spot in the shallows. Once she was settled, leaning against a medium boulder in the water with her tail laid over mine, she grinned, "Now, where was I?"

"You never started, babe." Chase said with a snigger, and Kassie glared at him, "Krató̱ntas gélio kai tha sas kópsei apó to ... _oféli̱_ ti̱s chronológi̱si̱s mia gorgóna." I burst out laughing, "Kassie, eísai _friktó_!" She shrugged, "_Kai loipón_? Eínai trípsimo ti̱n telef̱taía név̱ra mou me chachani̱tá tou."

(Kassie: Keep laughing and I'll cut you off from the... _benefits_ of dating a mermaid. Pan: Kassie, you're _horrible_! Kassie: _So_? He's grating on my last nerve with his giggling.)

I rolled my eyes, pitying my poor brother, who now looked warily between the two of us. I shot him a smirk, "O págos foráei leptó, allá tha kánoun ta stravá mátia gia ti̱n aitía kai anói̱ta synechísei na rythmó kýklous schetiká me ti̱n ypováthmisi̱ tou epifáneia."

Kassie rolled her eyes, "If you keep laughing at me, I won't let you come spend the night anymore... if you _get_ my _drift_." His face went comically pale, and I giggled, leaning into Trunks.

(The ice wears thin, yet you turn a blind eye to the cause and foolishly continue to pace circles on its deteriorating surface.)

Kassie began her story, and I settled in to listen.

"Today began as any other day; except for you not being at school, of course. I was cleaning up our kitchen area in third period, and that idiot Nevus tried to corner me in the corner while both the sinks were on. There was no way I could get past him without revealing my being a mermaid, and he decided to use it to his advantage."

"What did he want?" I asked, irritated. Kassie rolled her eyes, "he wanted to know where you were, but it was strange... He seemed almost smug when I told him you were at home sick." I nodded, rolling my eyes at his audacity, and then gasped.

"You said he seemed smug?"

"Yes, like he knew that I... was going to say you were _sick_. Holy crap..." Kassie trailed off, "You don't think he-"

"Oh, I know he did." I snapped, "I can't believe this. All this damned time, I thought I had some rare mermaid virus, and it was an _afydáto̱si̱s exágo̱no_. That little cretin is going to _pay_."

"A what-now?" Chase and Trunks looked truly lost. I sighed, truly irritated with myself for not recognizing the signs. _This is what happens when you stop training with your magic!_

"An afydáto̱si̱s exágo̱no or dehydration hex. It speeds up the process of a mermaid losing the moisture in her body when she takes in more water to cope with the loss, until she's either forced to revert to her aquatic form to survive, or wither away to a dried out husk and die. That... _that_... _kátharma_... He could've _killed_ me!" I slapped the water with my tail, truly pissed off.

"What use am I as his '_supposed_' future queen if he kills me with a damn _afydatosis exagono_? He's such an idiot!" I looked at Chase, "go in my room and get that spell book I brought with me. We're going to fix this right now." He nodded and rushed into the house.

"I thought he wanted you to be his Queen; why would try to kill the woman he wants to marry?" Kassie was truly confounded, and I was too. What exactly was he thinking when he did that?

"He's sending you a message, Princess." Trunks said softly, and I could easily tell he was suppressing his anger and the desire to turn Nevus into a splat on the cement, "he's making it clear that he means business. He knows you're smart enough to figure a way out of his parlor tricks."

"Then why was he begging for forgiveness just last week? He's so backwards it makes my head hurt." _Seriously_. My head had started pounding and everything. I groaned and pressed a hand against my forehead.

"Trying to get back into your good graces. When he realized you were too stubborn, he decided to take a subtle; yet more direct route." Kassie mumbled, "But this is a minor spell; why not use something more powerful?"

"He's buying himself time, but I haven't the slightest clue as to what for..." Trunks mumbled, and realization washed over me, "_he couldn't..._"

"What, Princess?"

"Nothing," I shook my head vehemently, "I'm just thinking out loud." Chase came back with a small purple notepad with the insignia for Okeanon emblazoned on the front. I took the notepad, placed it on my lap, and laid my palm flat against the insignia.

I could feel the raw magic burning my skin as I mumbled the incant to unlock my spell book, "_Skoupíste óles tis af̱tapátes kai na apokalýpsei ti̱n alí̱theia_..."

(Wipe away all illusions and reveal the truth.)

The book began to glow with a blue light, and grew to the size of a tome before the glow faded, revealing the worn, violet leather covering with the same insignia on the front. Everyone's eyes widened.

"What the... that was just a notepad..." Chase murmured, and I nodded, "this is the most thorough and powerful of any magic and spell books found in the seven seas. I meant to return it, but... its better I have it then to leave it somewhere so Nevus could get his hands on it."

"This," I said grandly, "is the o̱keanós krýstallo," and flipped open the cover, reading the olden Greek, "_ópoios askeí af̱tó tómo katéchei ypértati̱ douleía páno̱ apó tis eptá thálasses kai tous katoíkous ti̱s ... Féroun af̱tó to város kalá. Vasílissa Avelei Coria_..."

(Whosoever wields this tome possesses supreme thrall over the seven seas and its inhabitants... Bear this burden well. Queen Avelei Coria.)

"That was the very first Queen of Okeanon..." Kassie said, awed. I nodded and turned the pages, "alright, there are katáres tou pónou, ton ýpno exágo̱na, lagneía xórkia kai xórkia epoúlo̱si̱s ... ópou eínai ti̱s afydáto̱si̱s metri̱tí̱ exágo̱na?"

(Pain curses, sleeping hexes, lust spells, and healing incantation... where are the dehydration counter hexes?)

Kassie frowned, "Íso̱s tha prépei na exetásoume pio dýskolo, vasilopoúla." She leaned over and scanned the numbered pages, "Eínai akrivó̱s edó̱ sti̱ selída 54."

(Maybe you should look harder, princess. They're right here on page 54.)

"_Skáse_ ..." I mumbled under my breath, shooting her a look, and then turned the pages of the old, worn book. My eyes flittered over the hand-stenciled renderings of mermaids dying by dehydration, and I flinched before coming to a halt next to the first counter spell.

"I need you to say this," I said, looking at Kassie, "if I'd put the hex on myself with my own hands, I could take it off myself, but someone else did this, so someone else has to fix it."

Kassie place her hand on top of mine and glanced at the words, "umm... pnév̱mata ti̱s selí̱ni̱s kai to̱n thalassó̱n, aposyndésete to xórki pou proskollátai edó̱."

Kassie's hand flashed with a bluish white that formed into an orb and floated up to hover over my head. She flicked her wrist and the orb exploded into sparkling miniature orbs that rained down on me and sank into my skin.

"_Finally_. No more Lígi making my fins hot at night."

Everyone laughed at my expense, and Trunks pulled me out of the water carefully. I frowned, "solving that was relatively easy... what's he going to throw at us next?"

Kassie frowned, "I don't know, but we'd best be ready for it; whatever it may be." I nodded in agreement and looked up at Trunks, "first things first; when I get my land legs back, we're going to play on the Xbox Kinect."

Trunks groaned and rolled his eyes, fully aware of my other addiction. If there was anything I loved more than pancakes, training, or shopping; for myself only, then it would be the Xbox. Chase usually got on with his headset and played Black Ops II; making the rest of us _sane_ people endure him screaming into the mike at the people he killed, but I used it to play both _Just Dance_ and _Dance Central_. It was loads of fun... and absolutely _hysterical_ when Mama made Papa dance with her.

**(A/N: I play Black Ops II, and I have a mike, but I don't scream at people. I'm not good enough at it to the point where I can justify screaming at noobs. Call of Duty makes a great stress reliever, tbh.)**

"We'll definitely be ready for him; now that I remembered this thing." I murmured, closing the tome and placing my palm flat on the insignia, "_Katafýgio pragmatikóti̱ta, apokrýptoun ti̱n alí̱theia sto pachý, mysti̱rió̱di̱ kourtína ti̱s psev̱daísthi̱si̱s.__.._" With yet another flash of blue light, the tome was returned to its original notebook form.

(Shelter reality; conceal the truth in the thick, mysterious drape of illusion.)

I whispered another spell, and the notebook was transformed into a silver chain with a charm of a miniature purple tome hanging from it. I clasped it around my neck and smiled, satisfied, "Now there's no way he'll get a hold of this."

* * *

**I seriously feel like this chapter was lacking, but if you guys like it, then I guess I'll cast it off as my own insecurities. Next chapter will feature Nevus, yet again, but no one has suggested a hex! I want to do at least three or four more before we get to the big kahuna! I have a few in mind, but it's you guys who have to read it, and I want you guys to be happy with what you're reading. Next chapter will come by this weekend, maybe sooner, I have some business to take care of with my other stories at the moment.**

**-SukiChan12^-^**


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